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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26542297">The Lucii Job</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetCrazy_DramaQueen/pseuds/SweetCrazy_DramaQueen'>SweetCrazy_DramaQueen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Thief AU, my favorite kingsglaive bunch is there</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:08:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,633</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26542297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetCrazy_DramaQueen/pseuds/SweetCrazy_DramaQueen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As an expert thief, Lightning aimed to rob his crown. Things didn't go as planned.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lightning (Final Fantasy XIII)/Noctis Lucis Caelum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Lucii Job</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So technically, I wrote this quite some time ago, but I only published this on my tumblr account. For easy access, I decided to upload it here as well.</p><p>This was initially an one-shot, but after getting some nice readers to probe me, I decided to follow up with a sequel as an honorary entry for Lightis Week 2020.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p> </p>
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p> </p>
    <p>
      <strong>.The Lucii Job.</strong>
    </p>
    <p>
      <strong>~XIII/XV~</strong>
    </p>
    <p>The twenty-two karat gold necklace, inlaid with tiny rubies and diamonds, that was worth at least forty million gil, was haphazardly thrown on the cheap Kiea furniture desk like a piece of used trash. It thudded loudly on the lacquered wood, earning Fang's attention who sat behind the bureau with her legs crossed on the desktop.</p>
    <p>The magazine she was reading didn't lower yet from her field of vision, but there was a smirk in her voice when she spoke. "Is that the sound of two point eight kilograms of gold being dropped in front of me?"</p>
    <p>Lightning waved the air in front of her face in order to breathe better, before she crossed her arms. "Three kilograms. And that excluding the weight of the stones. Do you know how heavy that shit was?"</p>
    <p>Fang threw the magazine aside, ignoring Lightning's complaint because she didn't care much when there was an exquisite rare necklace in front of her. "Nothing worse for wear that you haven't handled before." She cradled the invaluable jewelry in her hands as if it were a baby. "Come to momma."</p>
    <p>Lightning hated coming over to Fang's hideout – a word the lady in question actually despised. <em>Call it a guild, rather than a hideout, </em>Fang would correct. A very illegal, underground guild called Monoculus that Fang was considered its leader of – <em>a guild master,</em> as she would put it. Whichever euphemism Fang chose to use, it didn't change the fact that this place was dark, littered with shady folk committing shady business, and stank heavily of smoke and sweat. <em>The scent of life,</em> Fang would say as she inhaled a lungful of air proudly.</p>
    <p><em>More like the stench of the corrupt,</em> Lightning contradicted. Contrary to Fang's boasting of the guildhall, it wasn't a choice of career she freely brought home. Vanille lived happily in the pristine white villa out of the city, with its two acres of land, swimming pools, eight bathrooms and the nicest vehicles parked at the front. Vanille lived a pure life, innocent from Fang's trade of business. Lightning knew Fang lived two lives only because <em>she</em> lived two lives as well, and that was exactly why Fang liked Light best of all the guild members.</p>
    <p>Well, that, and because Lightning was the best thief in their midst.</p>
    <p>Fang pulled out a loupe out of a drawer of her desk, to inspect the diamonds and rubies up close, whistling low as she studied the necklace. "The intel was wrong. The diamonds are way more beautifully cut than the report claimed. What a stud!"</p>
    <p>Lightning waited until Fang had sufficiently doted on the necklace before she cleared her throat. "I want ten percent of the profit of that."</p>
    <p>Fang never hung onto 'delivered goods' for very long. There were several reasons for this. No matter how beautiful the goods may be, as with the necklace in her hand, it was a risky game to keep them. <em>Admiring goods on pedestals so they can catch dust are for the museums and collectors,</em> Fang once explained, <em>we admire the money.</em> They always had to be sold in exchange for gil, as fast as possible and for as much as they could milk out of the buyer. That was what mattered the most at the end of the day, didn't it?</p>
    <p>"Ten percent?" Fang sputtered, digging around for one of her seven encrypted phones, completely untraceable, each housing different kinds of numbers of buyers for the black market. "We agreed on five percent, and five percent you'll get. Why do you need more all of a sudden, to spend it on that sister of yours?"</p>
    <p>"Even if I did," Lightning frowned at the dark haired guild leader. "I don't see how that is any of your business."</p>
    <p>Fang finally lowered the precious necklace to look the pink haired thief in the eye. "Your business has always been mine, love, and you never break a deal. What did she ask for this time?"</p>
    <p>Lightning cast her eyes to the side, pursing her lips. "She never asks for anything. But I know she needs her own manner of transport and I–"</p>
    <p>"And you want to buy some fancy smancy car for the little princess, do you?" Fang laughed, dropping the very expensive necklace on the table without a care. "You spoil her."</p>
    <p>"As you don't spoil Vanille?"</p>
    <p>"Hm." Fang agreed, quickly looking at a few of her mobile devices to send out anonymous messages and pictures of the necklace.</p>
    <p>But Lightning saw right through her façade. She knew Fang long enough to know when she was putting up a front. "You pretend nonchalance to save face." She pointed out Fang's one weakness. The guild master wasn't the only one who knew everyone's secrets around here. "But you'd sell your soul for Vanille."</p>
    <p>"My soul? Yes, depending on how much gil I can get out of it. Souls are like your appendix anyway, you don't really need 'em." Fang truly cared for little else except money, unless it was Vanille. "But I never break a deal. That is what makes you much more vulnerable than me, Sunshine."</p>
    <p>Lightning scoffed and tried not to take offence to that. Fang had her games and tricks and smirks. That's how she liked to rule everyone in their guild. "I only told you what I wanted. Considering the trouble I went through to get that thing," Light nodded at the necklace, "I guessed a raise was in order."</p>
    <p>"You guessed wrong." Fang clucked her tongue. "A deal is a deal, mate. Besides, you owe me."</p>
    <p>Lightning shot her a cutting glare. She really didn't like to be guilt tripped into working for Fang. She was done with that. "I paid you my debt a long time ago."</p>
    <p>"The money debt, aye. The personal one, on the other hand…"</p>
    <p>Angrily, Lightning fully turned to her, slamming her hands on the desk, the golden necklace rattling between them. "Damn you, Fang. You're going to keep that up to squeeze everything out of me, like the leech that you are."</p>
    <p>"Calm down, calm down, Sunshine." Fang rose from her chair, her own hands slowly resting on the desktop so that she was nose to nose with Light. "I happen to have a job for you that will settle all scores and make us even. Afterwards, we start on equal grounds, a clean slate."</p>
    <p>Lightning narrowed her eyes in suspicion, not trusting the smirk that was growing on Fang's sensual mouth. "I don't believe you." Cheating and playing was Fang's forte, after all.</p>
    <p>But the guild leader only grinned. "Have I ever lied–" At this, Lightning scowled, knowing full well that lying was what Fang does as much as breathing. "–to you?"</p>
    <p><em>That</em>, however, was different. Their relationship was a peculiar one, where Lightning owed her much and more since Light was a teenager, and she became Fang's… <em>apprentice</em> – for a lack of a better word – at the time, and they distrusted the world outside of each other. They had only ever been real to one another, because they couldn't to anyone else. Their true lives were hidden from the ones they loved back home, but to each other they were honest. True to her word, manipulative as Fang had a tendency to be, she had never lied to Lightning.</p>
    <p>"No," Light said quietly. "You haven't."</p>
    <p>"Heh," Fang chuckled, always amused at Lightning's quick anger. "As a show of good faith, I have a job for you."</p>
    <p>"Another job? I <em>just</em> came back from one." The thief jerked her chin to the golden necklace with all its rubies and diamonds. The heaviest necklace she ever had to smuggle around. People actually wore this thing around their necks?</p>
    <p>"Aye, but <em>this</em> one is a special deal. Any and all of its income is for you and you alone. I just want the goods and the entire amount of gil is completely yours."</p>
    <p>Lightning's interest was piqued. "What kind of a job are we talking about?" She didn't entirely trust the offer. Fang always had hidden cards up her sleeve.</p>
    <p>The guild master rummaged through another drawer at her desk. "An easy one. Just a slip-and-slide and you're home free." The file she pulled out was a thin one when she slid it over the desktop towards Light.</p>
    <p>She flipped it open, finding a colorful photograph of a crown resting upon a suede red cushion staring back at her. "A crown?"</p>
    <p>"Aha," Fang wiggled her finger at her. "Not just <em>any</em> crown. A mako crystal crown, taken from the deepest fires of Mount Ordeals, said to be woven with dragonscale steel that has rune engravings on them which are only deciphered by the gods!"</p>
    <p>Lightning didn't look impressed. "Sounds impressive."</p>
    <p>Fang sighed dreamily. "Oh, it is."</p>
    <p>Light looked down at the picture of the crown and then back up at the leader of Monoculus. "And you're sure the profit will be entirely for my own?"</p>
    <p>If anyone else knew each other as long as these two did, such untrustworthiness wouldn't exist. But considering who Fang is, and the type of business they all dabbled in, it was always better to be cautious.</p>
    <p>Fang leaned back into her chair, ankles thrown over the desk. "All I want are the goods."</p>
    <p>That means that this crown was Lightning's next target of interest. It was indeed a beautiful thing, and if it was made of crystals and had a dead language of the gods written on it, then it was also ancient. Priceless, if she had to put a price tag on it. The black market would tear itself apart for this thing and the entire amount would be only hers to have. If true, then this would be Lightning's last job, because the money would be enough to set her and Serah for life. That's all Lightning had ever wanted.</p>
    <p>But she still felt like there was a catch. Fang was much too greedy to let this huge number of gil pass her by. "What's to it? What hell must I go through to collect this?"</p>
    <p>Fang betrayed nothing. "The crown belongs to an old royal line."</p>
    <p>Lightning grimaced. "And it's somewhere in their impossibly secured palace, isn't it?" The very thought already gave her a headache. "Not this again. Remember the Sultan of Zanarkand, and when I had to retrieve the Mythril Egg?" That was one of her worst jobs ever. Not to mention, she broke two ribs and a finger because of that one.</p>
    <p>The Mythril Egg belonged to a royalty as well, and stealing it had been literally hell. If she never had to step foot in that palace again it would be too soon.</p>
    <p>"Remember how I said this one will be easy? There's a huge party in honor of the king a week from now. All the high nobles and stuff come to swear their fealty or whatever they do, so security will be focused on the party rather than the royal possessions. You just slip in between the guests, snatch that lovely crown and slip out before anyone notices it's gone."</p>
    <p>That did sound easy. It wasn't the first time that Lightning stole money, information or precious jewelry right from under the owner's noses while a party or another distracting event was going on. Too many strange faces to keep count, all eyes would be turned into a certain direction and it would be too late before the owner knew their property was gone. It was like stealing from a sleeping baby.</p>
    <p>Lightning's determination was set. "I'll get that crown."</p>
    <p>Fang's smile was sly. "I knew you would steal it for me."</p>
    <p>"Tch," The pink haired thief scoffed unrepentantly. "Don't fool yourself. I'm going to get that crown for the gil you gave your word for."</p>
    <p>"A deal is a deal, Light. And I always keep my word." Fang crossed her arms behind her head, closing her eyes, knowing the conversation was at an end. "Gimme that crown and the money is yours."</p>
    <p>
      <strong>~XV/XIII~</strong>
    </p>
    <p>What Fang failed to mention was that this royal crown vestiges in Lucis, a kingdom seas and mountains away, small in comparison to others, but had a rich history that Lightning didn't really care about.</p>
    <p>She read some about it on her ride over, fingering through the tourist brochures about the place, between the blueprints that lay spread in front of her. She arrived in Insomnia by train, a rather beautiful citadel she had to admit and she watched her eyes full, as she committed the sights to memory. After this job, should they ever figure out who she was, she could never step foot into Insomnia again, so she'd enjoy it while she could.</p>
    <p>She booked a hotel in the middle of downtown, knowing a bustling city was the easiest way to disappear. From her experience, city dwellers preferred their anonymity, and hardly ever cared about the business of others around them. It was the literal equivalent of being lonely while surrounded by a thousand people, but it was exactly the kind of atmosphere Lightning needed in her line of occupation.</p>
    <p>The hotel itself was as gorgeous as the city it was settled in, a feeling of historic meeting modern architects. The blend was refined and pleasing, and Lightning could honestly say it was the nicest place she stayed over in. The Lucians were friendly when spoken to, addressed her formally but were very hospitable people from what she gathered.</p>
    <p>But she didn't come to Lucis for a vacation. There was a job to be done and the day had come to steal the crown. There was a royal party she needed to infiltrate.</p>
    <p>The dress she wore was black and long and flowed down from her knees into a tail, and one that she actually liked on herself this time around. She needed a dress which she could hike up so her legs could move freely, something a tighter number would restrict her. And the color was for blending purposes mostly, there has never been a more inconspicuous color for a party, as well as when one is to sneak around to steal something.</p>
    <p>Having memorized the castle's blue prints and even drove a few circles around the castle a day or two before, she got a pretty distinctive look of the place. From what she remembered, their precious artifacts, including a famous crystal, was kept in the heart of the castle, rather than in the basement as was common. She had stolen enough goods to know the modus operandi of these rich types and they were all the same; they either kept their invaluable possession close to them – in secret safes installed in the bedroom or offices – or overly protected in nearly impossible to reach places; underground vaults, safe rooms and bunkers. Lightning had seen it all before.</p>
    <p>And broken and entered into all of them too.</p>
    <p>She was surprised that these Lucii royalties veered off of tradition, and kept their precious treasury in the middle of the castle instead. She cared not, perhaps this time around it would be even easier than normally to break into because of that.</p>
    <p>As she bothered to put makeup on back in the hotel, she rechecked all her tools before she set out. The pins she needed held her hair in place, while delicate tendrils of pink curling hair framed her face. A thigh holster kept her other tiny instruments; glue, tweezers, a tiny can of nitrogen, a spoon and a small ball of clay. She even shoved a lighter down her bodice. Her cable poised as a bracelet, while her phone was openly pushed into her clutch.</p>
    <p>Getting to the party was never much of an issue except that it always was a bother for Lightning. Considering that the guests at a ball held for king's honor were most likely all aristocrats owning the flashiest of vehicles, she couldn't afford to stand out if she arrived in a taxi. So it was required for Lightning to rent the same. Not that at the end of her mission she ever paid for either the hotel or the car. She made sure to wipe the hotel room clean before she left and wore gloves as she drove, leaving no fingerprints behind. The car usually stayed abandoned, because she tended to steal another one when she escaped. She'd be long gone out of Lucis before anyone notices that she stole their car and left everything else unpaid.</p>
    <p>The smooth black Panther sports car that she arrived in was inspected by security from top to bottom for any dangerous objects, that caused a bit of traffic around the courtyard of the castle. Reporters of the media were pressed with their cameras around the fence like mosquitos against a window. Valet parking was provided, taking the cars to the huge garage under the castle. Lightning remembered the size of that place from the blueprints and knew the garage could easily house hundreds of vehicles.</p>
    <p>One of the valet boys helped her out of the car once she drove up right on the red carpet that stretched from the courtyard into the castle. After her fancy rental was taken away, she eyed the many steps leading up to the castle's entrance and she cursed her heels. She was never fond of wearing them, but were a necessity in these types of circles. She needed to blend in, and not stand out, if she wanted to do her thing unnoticed.</p>
    <p>Nevertheless, she lifted her dress and as daintily as possible climbed up the steps to her mark, mingling in between other glitzy dressed lords and ladies in the haute couture dresses, with earrings blinking as stars in the sky, manicured nails veiled to perfection and Altissian leather shoes polished until they were shiny.</p>
    <p>She knew she had arrived late to the event and she did so on purpose. No one would notice a late arrival when they were all vying for the attention of the man of the hour. The newly crowned king of Lucis would have his hands full as Lightning slipped into the back of the ballroom.</p>
    <p>Most of the guests were already present, intermingling with each other as a small orchestra played music in the glorious huge ballroom. The air smelled like freshly made hors d'oeuvre, perfume and champagne. Apparently the king managed to gather himself quite a crowd; there had to be at least four hundred invitees if Lightning had to guess on a single glance. <em>Good</em>, she thought. The more people, the easier it was to disappear between them. She'll be just another face among the masses, forgettable and insignificant.</p>
    <p>Despite having memorized every hall and corridor of the palace – and such a humongous place it was – seeing the lines drawn was quite a different case than seeing the castle up close. Blueprints lacked the checkered marble floors that were shiny enough to pose as a mirror, or the golden trim on the columns and the blooming flowers in every corner. She did not expect that last detail, but she liked that above all the other lavish ornaments spread throughout the castle.</p>
    <p>Before she snuck to her mark, she counted the security guards within the ballroom, and followed their routine. Grabbing a glass of Ton Berrignon in a crystal flute, she pretended to be part of the party while she circled the hall keeping an eye on the guards and all the possible exits. She knew she needed to get hold of a keycard that was required to enter some rooms, but it was child's play to swipe one from a distracted guard.</p>
    <p>When she found herself in the left corner of the hall, her attention was pulled to the center of the room, where a large group of guests stood attending a single man among them, taking turns to speak to him one by one. Lightning figured he was the new king they crowned a few days ago. She hadn't really bothered with knowing who he was.</p>
    <p>He was a bit on the grey side, but he stood tall and wore some nice robes to match his new title. She didn't care about the king because she planned to stay far away from him regardless. She has had an awful time with the last royalty she encountered. The Sultan of Zanarkand was a drunk and a whoremonger who considered every female to be his to touch, and a disgusting creep besides. She was sure not everyone of a royal line was the same every country over, but if she never had to come near a royal sovereign ever again, she'd be happy.</p>
    <p>Shaking the thoughts out of her mind, she reached for her phone. She knew she needed to link it to the headsets of the security's frequency in order to stay ahead of every step they made. But the linking itself always took a minute and required her to be within two meters of her target during all those seconds. An awkward and suspicious act if she did so.</p>
    <p>Her opportunity for making the connection was by the buffet table, where two uniformed guards stood still like statues and she couldn't have found a more perfect situation if she tried. All she needed to do was go and collect herself another flute filled with champagne, and 'accidentally' forget her phone at the corner of the buffet table. By the time she 'remembered' to come and find her phone, she would be connected to their direct feed.</p>
    <p>The table was also home of the party's losers, a residue of guests standing in groups who were rather enjoying the free champagne and finger food, than to go and butter up the crowned king. A group of ladies were gathered about looking like they felt themselves superior to others, and on the other side of the table, some young lords who leered at the ladies from the distance. Lightning rolled her eyes at them and cut in between the two groups to the table, a bit closer to the lords and the security guards who were stationed right behind them.</p>
    <p>She sent a smile to the caterer who was tending the buffet table, who nearly dropped the bottle of Ton Berrignon at the sight of her. She was thankful he hadn't, and winked once before she collected her flute and moved away.</p>
    <p>However she had not been ten seconds removed from the buffet table and someone tapped her on her shoulder.</p>
    <p>"Sorry, but you forgot your phone back there."</p>
    <p>She left her phone there for a reason and some oblivious fool brought it back? Lightning bit her tongue as she tried to keep her bad temper cooled, and she turned around to cobalt blue eyes meeting hers.</p>
    <p>He held a friendly enough smile that caught her interest for a second, until he lifted her phone between them.</p>
    <p>Dammit. She silently cursed but kept her countenance as graceful as she could manage. In the time that her phone was returned to her, it couldn't have possibly linked itself to the security's frequency. It took everything within her not to glare at the guy for messing up her mission.</p>
    <p>But, she guessed, out of context it was nice of the man to return her phone to her. If it were her, she'd steal it and sell it.</p>
    <p>"I would've come back for it at one point or another." She told him, forcing the corners of her lips up, thinking instead that she would've come back for her phone in exactly a minute.</p>
    <p>He shrugged then, the suit he wore was cut to perfection for him, as if they sewed the damn thing on his body as he slept. She would have been impressed, if she wasn't irritated with him.</p>
    <p>"Still, wouldn't have wanted you to search the entire hall trying to remember where you misplaced it." He pointed to himself then. "I've lost so many, I must be the phone company's best customer with the amount of new ones I keep buying after I can't find my old one."</p>
    <p>That comment was so incredibly spoiled that Lightning couldn't keep up the amiable façade and her smile shrunk. The action caught him by surprise, for his eyes widened slightly and subtlety escaped him.</p>
    <p>Her scowl couldn't be hidden fast enough. For a second she forgot these people were rich enough without a single financial care in the world. They could break and buy whatever they chose, because they could afford it no matter what. And his last line just proved it.</p>
    <p>"Yes, and I wish I could dismiss any possession of mine as easily as you do yours." She all but snarled, taking her phone from him, but he didn't let go. "Thank you." She tugged to get the device from his fingers, to no avail. She didn't want to get straight up rude and cause a scene, because that would only attract attention that she didn't need. She smothered the urge to glare at him. "<em>Thank you.</em>" She said this time a little bit more forcibly.</p>
    <p>He had been staring at her with a curious look on his face until she emphasized her words with a grunt. He blinked, somewhat shook his head and let go of her phone. "I'm sorry. Sure, um… have a pleasant evening."</p>
    <p>She was gone from him before he even finished, her mood severally downed. Her evening just turned unpleasant. This job was supposed to be an easy one, but already her first plan was thwarted. Twice as long it took to find another chance to link her phone with the security's feed, and it was only possible because the guard was talking to another not to notice her lingering around a bit too close for a solid minute.</p>
    <p>By that time, all she wanted to do was to find the damn chamber that held her object and be as far away from here as she could with her treasure. She knew the chamber that held the crystal crown was on the fifth floor, the party where they were at now was on the third floor. Obviously, she couldn't just simply climb the staircase to her destination, so she had to make due. The coming and goings into the bathrooms were checked by a guard, so that was a bust. There wasn't even a vent going from this floor to the fifth from the blueprints she studied and that left her only with the more dangerous route to her object; the castle's outer walls.</p>
    <p>Luckily for her, the ballroom had a veranda leading outside with a splendid view of Insomnia's city in front of them. But also unfortunately for her, a couple occupied the veranda when she opened the glass door leading out. They broke apart from their kiss when Lightning added herself onto the balcony and joined them. They flushed at first, but when they noticed that she wasn't leaving them alone again, angry frowns were thrown in her direction. In truth Lightning needed to get rid of all witnesses so she could start climbing the walls, and she knew her intrusive presence would eventually chase away the lovebirds. They whispered together before they picked themselves up and sent looks that could kill as they passed her by. Lightning acted like she saw nothing, delicately fanning herself as if she was in high need of fresh air to cool off.</p>
    <p>Once alone she immediately checked the wall if it were truly climbable, being pleased that it was. She knew there were no windows on the fifth floor to slip into, so she would have to climb to the sixth one that posed as a roof between the two taller towers that rose into the sky. That roof had an unguarded exit, save for a single camera that she could easily decoy. That was the castle's weak point if someone was professional enough to scale the walls up there.</p>
    <p>It just so happens that Lightning was that expert. She couldn't very much climb with her heels on, so she was busy unstrapping her second shoe when the balcony door opened, and out stepped the same man who thought to be a hero without a cape when he returned her smartphone to her earlier.</p>
    <p>Once more he stood in her way from doing her job.</p>
    <p>"Oh, hey." Instantly, a beam brightened up his face when he saw her, looking stunned for just a split second that anyone was outside at all. "I thought it was empty out here."</p>
    <p>She couldn't hide the fact that she was bare feet now. "Did you follow me or something?" She demanded sharply.</p>
    <p>"What. no!" He seemed to be taken aback by her harsh tone, quickly trying to explain himself. "I just needed the fresh air. It's just a lucky coincidence that you're already here."</p>
    <p>Lightning pursed her lips and begrudgingly accepted his explanation. He may consider Lady Luck smiling at him for meeting her again on the veranda this time, but to Lightning this was the second time he interrupted her plans. "Right." She tilted her shoulders, trying to look busy with enjoying the scenery of Insomnia's skyline in the dark and not having any other illegal plans.</p>
    <p>He settled against the railing of the veranda, gazing over the city as well. A cool breeze passed through his raven hair. "I'm sorry about your phone thing earlier," He murmured quietly after a while, putting an untouched flute of Ton Berrignon champagne on the edge of the railing besides him.</p>
    <p>She flicked her gaze sideward at him. "Doesn't matter." She said tersely.</p>
    <p>"You were angry with me." She was only angry with him mostly because he made her job that more difficult than it had to be. "You thought I was conceited."</p>
    <p>She hesitated in denying that application because it was true. "I wasn't." But she knew in this kind of society, saying such flat out was considered rude.</p>
    <p>"Admit it." He pushed, a lilt of amusement in his tone.</p>
    <p>She didn't like it. "Fine. I did."</p>
    <p>Any other person, especially an aristocrat in these types of circles, would be offended at her admitting so, but his smile only grew, indigo colored eyes settling on her. "I'm Noctis." He finally introduced himself, thankfully not extending a hand to her.</p>
    <p>She was surprised he didn't tell her his whole name and then some. Rich people tend to give up their surname along with their given one, in a subtle way to show which prestige family they came from and how much money hailed to that name. That he only told her his first one and first one alone spoke volumes. "Lightning."</p>
    <p>"Tired?" He asked, pointing at her heels that she couldn't hide fast enough. He knew she was barefoot under the dress, that was thankfully long enough to hide them.</p>
    <p>She made up a quick excuse. "I don't like wearing them for long." That wasn't even a lie, because she really didn't like heels, but she just didn't tell him the exact reason why she took them off in the first place.</p>
    <p>"I know the feeling," He responded. "If only I could take this off as secretly as you could." He started pulling at his tie, loosening it from around his neck while he frowned at the party, as if that was the blame for his misery. "It's like wearing a noose. Gets tighter and tighter with every passing minute."</p>
    <p>She had to be making a quick exit by now, but this would be the second time she would have avoided the same man, and in fear that her anxious disappearing act caused a rise of suspicion, she figured that lingering with him on the veranda wouldn't hurt for a minute or two. She hadn't made conversation with anyone that night as of yet, and he hadn't been excruciatingly awful so far, except for messing up her plans in doing her job. She figured she could entertain the notion, by speaking to a Lucii stranger for a moment, because she will never see him again after tonight anyway.</p>
    <p>"I'd say you look better without a tie." He looked a bit abashed when she said it, and feeling brash, Lightning took the crystal flute from him. "But I don't think that appearing without one would be appropriate when meeting the king."</p>
    <p>He chuckled, running a hand through midnight spikes, eyeing the way she sipped from his glass. "It's a must during these types of things. But if it were up to me, I'd show up in a loose pants and a stained shirt and call it a day." That made her smile for him, one that wasn't even the least bit pretended. He looked at her for a moment too long, then blinked and hastily glanced away, over his shoulder to the buzzing ballroom behind them. "Man, I hate these parties. I'd rather drink acid."</p>
    <p>"Really?" She inspected him from top to bottom in his designer suit. He looked right at home between all the other flashy men and women inside. "You seem to fit perfectly between them. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought this soirée is right up your alley."</p>
    <p>He leaned on his elbows on the railing, eyes on the city as he chuckled. "You know what they say about assuming." He glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled. Lightning gave him at least that, and looked down. If he was in any way satisfied with having right over her, he didn't show it. "I'd rather be eating pizza and playing video games, to be honest."</p>
    <p>"And yet here we are." She looked into the party with distaste. "Keeping up our pretenses, exaggerating our net worth, trying to outdo the other. Can't disappoint the king, I suppose."</p>
    <p>At this Noctis fully turned to her, with an odd expression on his face but he said nothing as he stared at her. And then suddenly he blurted, "You're not from around here, right?"</p>
    <p>"What makes you say that?" She stilled into stone, wondering if she had to take him out. She had never killed someone on the job, but she knew how to knock out a man twice her size, and she would hit him unconscious if he was suspicious of her, no matter how handsome he was.</p>
    <p>"There's a slight accent when you talk." She calmed down, tension fleeing her shoulders. "And there are quite a lot foreign politicians who'd come for the king, a few allies from countries seas away were also invited. I guess you were one of them."</p>
    <p>"I actually really could care less about the king." She was here for his crown, no more. "But business brought me here. Can't really escape the acquaintance."</p>
    <p>An expression that she couldn't read flashed through his eyes, but he smiled and somewhat leaned in her direction. "That would have been unfortunate for him, to be missing out on meeting you."</p>
    <p>"I don't think he'll miss me." If he was trying to be cute, she wouldn't let him affect her, so she shrugged. "He's got connections in lots of other places. He invited all of them, after all."</p>
    <p>He nodded, but then he thought of the one person that was exclusively left out from receiving an invitation. "Except the Sultan of Zanarkand." He made a silly face of disgust. "He's just a creep."</p>
    <p>He caused her to smile, the second time that night. What a record. "I met the Sultan once. And I hope never to meet him again. He can't keep his tangles to himself."</p>
    <p>Noctis let his eyes drift to her, his gaze heavier when he looked her up and down. He stared at her for far too long than was appropriate and Lightning cleared his throat to snap him out of it. Once he realized that he had been ogling her like a fool, he started stuttering. "I-I mean, he shouldn't give himself airs just because he's a sultan that he could say or do whatever he pleases, to anyone without their permission, I mean. It's rude and-and unmannered and harassing and he's—"</p>
    <p>"A total asshole." Lightning finished for him, in a much more comprehensive and shorter term.</p>
    <p>"Yeah," He laughed. She liked the sound of it much more than she wanted to accept. "An asshole."</p>
    <p>"Let's hope this new king isn't the same." She has seen the man who everyone flocked around in the middle of the hall. He was aged, but he was tall and somewhat still handsome. He looked as regal as you would expect of a king, pleasantly conversing with those around him, lords and ladies of his same range of age dressed impeccable with robes and chains and medals. The new king didn't look like a pervert as the Sultan of Zanarkand was, but they are both older men, and she knew they have tendencies to sniff after young women.</p>
    <p>It made the thought of stealing an ancient crystal crown, one that must have been in the family for hundreds of years, feel less like she robbed them and more like she gave him what he had coming. Or took from him, depending how you look at it.</p>
    <p>Noctis was silent beside her, but the quiet was a comfortable one, like they enjoyed each other's company for the moment without forcing awkward conversation in the midst. She studied his profile for a second or two, coming to the realization that she had entertained him for so long instead immediately blowing him off to do her job, because he was good looking. And he actually acted like a human being instead of cockily strutting around flirting with her because he wanted to get in her pants and no more. He was nice.</p>
    <p>But playtime was over, and she came to steal a crown, not steal kisses. She has talked enough, wasted too much time on a man instead of keeping her focus on her goal.</p>
    <p>"It's getting late," She declared, as a beginning of her goodbye. "And I haven't given my proper respect to the new king yet."</p>
    <p>"Um, sure." He cocked his head and his boyish grin that followed, disarmed her like no one ever did before. She picked up her dress and with a last glance at the wall she couldn't climb, made her way to the glass door.</p>
    <p>"Wait," He called after her, taking the same step with her and she halted. "Don't forget your shoes." He pointed at the pile of heels she left at the corner of the balcony where she took them off. "I don't think you fancy to be like Ciderella."</p>
    <p>Lightning returned to her shoes, slipping her feet in the first heel. "Ciderella?"</p>
    <p>"Yeah, you know," He looked down, hiding a blush. "The fairy tale about Ciderella who lost her slipper at the ball, and the prince who then went looking for her over the country with the one lost shoe."</p>
    <p>She was busy putting on her other one, looking up at him from under her lashes. "Did he find her? Don't tell me she was the only one in the whole country with that shoe size?"</p>
    <p>He dared to edge closer to her as she was kneeling to put her heels back on, wishing he had offered to strap them around her ankles for her. "No, but she was the only one who had the other foot." He offered her his hand when she finished, helping her back up straight to her feet. "So it's she who found him, and they lived happily ever after, as fairy tales like to go."</p>
    <p>"Sounds far-fetched." She fixed her dress again about her and then looked up at him. "And unlikely. But I'll remember that." Noticing their distance was something that was a little too close for comfort, Lightning backed a step and coughed. "I've… got to go. Can't keep the king waiting."</p>
    <p>She all but ran to the entrance of the ballroom and his eyes followed after her, nodding when she announced her departure for the second time.</p>
    <p>She opened the glass door, but lingered. Looking back at him, meeting his gaze that never left her. She figured it was rude to just leave him, after he so kindly sort of helped her and had a nice talk with him. "Thank you, Noctis." She hardly ever showed her gratitude to anyone, but he deserved it.</p>
    <p>Even in the night she saw his expression elevate into something brighter. "Until next time, Lightning."</p>
    <p>She doubted she'd ever meet him again.</p>
    <p>Returning to the party, she was instantly overcome with a sea of laughter coming from the man who was king. Wasting no more time, she ran through her mind the blueprints of the castle to find her next manner of getting to her mark. The bathrooms didn't have a vent that led up to the fifth floor, but it had a tiny window that she could twist herself through if she held her breath, and she would find herself on the same wall that she had intended to climb via the veranda.</p>
    <p>The problem was that the security who took note of the comings and goings of those into the washrooms stood attentively on duty, so she had to use her phone to disturb their line of connection. Some small hacking with her smartphone ensued, but the deed was done and once she knew that the guard standing by the door went to 'fix' his ear piece, she took her opportunity to slip through.</p>
    <p>Her shoes were abandoned in a corner stall of the restroom, she pulled her gloves back out for a better grip, and before she knew it, she was holding her weight up against the palace walls, winds blowing in her ear, a frightening height between her and the ground. Fortunately, the walls were climbable. The way brick was built over brick, the edges in between allowed leeway for her fingers and toes, so hand over hand and feet over foot, she hoisted herself into the air. She didn't dare to look down, and while she didn't have any fear of heights, she didn't want to tempt Lady Luck by seeing how far she could drop below.</p>
    <p>It took quite a while, and all the strength was drained out of Lightning's arms once she reached that roof on the sixth floor, but she reached it. She lay panting and thanking the gods that she didn't splatter to her death at any given time once her feet were on steady ground, but she didn't allow herself to appreciate her spared life for long. The palace didn't have sensors on the roof, but they did have a few cameras. Happily dressed in black, she avoided the positions of the cameras, broke the lock of the small door that led outside and was safely back in.</p>
    <p>Plugging her earplug back, she tracked down the positions of the security on the sixth floor, because surely there had to be a few on every store.</p>
    <p>Stupidly, there wasn't. Lightning shook her head, smirking. Almost too easy.</p>
    <p>A vent led her one floor down, because obviously she couldn't just take the stairs and the fifth floor was where all the activity happened. The security were keeping their surveillance rounds here, since this was clearly an important floor. But with the aid of her smartphone, she kept track of their movements and dodged them all.</p>
    <p>The blueprints revealed that the vault was behind the third room in the northeast corridor, and once she picked <em>that </em>lock, she was faced with the next issue. A book closet, obviously faux, stood between her and the safe door. <em>Old school, </em>she thought. The trigger was pulling the right book, and there were many books in front of her.</p>
    <p>Remembering the king, she knew he was taller than her. People tended to work with things on eye level, so the shelve above her head was the one she needed. She looked more east than westward, for the outside wall was much too enclosed westward to allow an entrance to a secret room. An ordinary book she looked for, and when she found a cooking book about the delicate sea slug of the wayward ocean, between alphabetically ordered books of ancient monarchs, she knew she had the right one.</p>
    <p>The vault she was led to was an intricate thing; needing a fingerprint and passcode to open. Hard work, but doable. Leaning down on a knee, she pulled a cable from her bracelet, connecting her phone to the code box, and while it tried to figure out the four-digit number code, she heated the glue on the spoon with her lighter, causing the last pressed fingerprint to be reused on the scan pad.</p>
    <p>This was all child's play for her, and as she was silently scolding these imperial royalties on their lax security measurements, the vault popped open. She had broken into fortified banks and stolen booty in much more difficult and impossible settings than this. Don Corneo's mansion was hell, but the Palum Polum Twins painting she snatched was worth it.</p>
    <p>However, the inside of <em>this </em>vault was one unlike she has ever seen before. There was a long lightened pathway up ahead of her, that eventually split up in three directions. And that wasn't even the most curious of things; it was the black unmoving water all around the path that was unsettling. The path in the middle, the most prominent one of all three, led straight to a floating stone - no, more like a broken crystal shard. It seemed to be within an invisible sort of tube, but serene in its prison.</p>
    <p>The path to the right led to a display that had a few dozen swords, blades, spears and the like hanging on the wall. Some of them looked centuries old.</p>
    <p>It was the path on the left that brought her eyes to the prize; the Crown Jewels. Shiny diamonds, gold, silver and precious stones blinked up at her, bedazzling her and tempting her greed to steal them all. Necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets. There were tiaras grand and small, several other crowns as pretty as they were shiny, but her main course stood above all these fine jewelry on a red velvet cushion awaiting her thieving fingers; the crystal encrusted crown.</p>
    <p>She knew that that had been her objective from the start, the one Fang wanted that made themcut a deal in the first place. This treasure would settle Lightning and her sister into a comfortable life forever. It was this one crown, apart from the other jewelry that together combined would never reach this good's value if they tried. It was a beautiful old thing, that Lightning would move mountains to protect, had she been its owner.</p>
    <p>But the crown meant more than just money to her. It was freedom. And freedom was just a thieving snatch away.</p>
    <p>The air stirred, a glittering stone floated in front of Lightning's nose and too late she noticed the sudden presence from behind her that appeared out of nowhere.</p>
    <p>"Busted." A deep voice whispered by her ear and she whirled around meeting a man she had never seen before. Tall he was, with a tiny tattoo on his face, keeping the sharp edge of his Kukri blade pointed at her.</p>
    <p>She was so stunned at his appearance that she couldn't even react or demand where he came from. It was impossible to sneak up on her; there was only one path behind her and the vault would've betrayed his entrance. The sound of his footsteps would've carried over the water to her, so she had no idea how he popped up behind her back without her knowing.</p>
    <p>"Heh," He smirked, the little arrow on his cheek moving with him when he did so. "Of all the kings and queens you could steal from, you decided to rob the Caelum's. Like we would ever allow you to steal the crystal."</p>
    <p>Lightning eyed the floating rock over his shoulder, scowling. "I'm not here for your crystal. And with the way you guys run your security measurements, I'm surprised I'm the only one who managed to break in."</p>
    <p>"Cheeky." The man declared about her with a wider smirk, lifting his blade to her throat. "I bet he likes that."</p>
    <p>Lightning scowled at him, having no idea who he was referring to. "I doubt it."</p>
    <p>The security guard shrugged noncommittally, scratching at his bearded chin with his unoccupied hand, looking about the place. "I'm impressed though. No one else ever came this close and definitely not in <em>that</em> dress." He eyed her up from head to heel, gawking in a way that made her angry. "How'd you do that?"</p>
    <p>She glared at him so fiercely, it would have made him back away had he not been the one with the blades. She sneered, "I'll tell you about it over tea time next time."</p>
    <p>His grin never let up, and by the conceit in his tone, he figured he already won. "Oh, where you're going there won't be any tea."</p>
    <p>Before she could reply, he told her to put her hands in the air and turn around slowly, which she did, because a false sense of victory was always the ultimate trap. She let him come near her to bind her hands but yet before he could touch her, she knocked the back of her head against his chin.</p>
    <p>He stumbled backwards, disoriented and in pain, while Lightning used his confusion to hit his wrist, causing him to drop his Kukri blade that she caught before it hit the ground. She never tried to be spotted during a heist, but sometimes guards were an issue, and she wasn't unfamiliar with combat to take them out of the equation.</p>
    <p>Kicking the man in his chest, he almost fell ass first into the water that surrounded the place. He flailed his arms like a goose trying to catch wind, fighting hard to regain his balance as he hopped backwards, the water and gravity working against him.</p>
    <p>Lightning only needed to keep him distracted long enough so she could flee, and she threw his Kukri back at him, aiming for anywhere non-lethal because she had always been adamantly against taking a life on the job.</p>
    <p>The blade pierced one of the purple clothed ribbons on his uniform, pinning him against the wall behind himself. Lightning had no time left, grabbing the crystal crown next to her, before she turned tail and ran, lest the security guy yanked himself loose and followed.</p>
    <p>The lightened path did not seem this long on her way in, but she sprinted over it for dear life, clutching the priceless crown like some ordinary frisbee. She slid between the entrance of the vault, slamming the thing closed just to make it a little harder for the guard to chase her, turning the wheel of the vault to lock him in.</p>
    <p>She stood panting against it for a second, readying herself for a race out of the castle - because surely by now that guard inside would have notified his fellow security - when she turned and came face to face with a dozen or so blades pointed right at her.</p>
    <p>
      <em>Dammit.</em>
    </p>
    <p>They stood in a half circle surrounding her, silent as the night, in the same kind of dark clothed uniform she has seen all the security around here, looking strict and resilient down their weapons at her. They didn't even say anything as they stood there, glaring at her, blades ready at any moment's notice to pierce her.</p>
    <p>"Freeze." A woman stated, stepping slightly forward and ahead of them. She was the only one without a sword. Brunette hair neatly tousled, red lips curved into a mischievous smile, her black uniform skin tight. She was the right kind of sexy dangerous guard. "I've always wanted to say that." She said then, her voice flavored and rich.</p>
    <p>Lightning didn't want to break her elated spirit, but she could rarely help herself. "Redundant," The thief in the ball gown told the lady guard. "I was already still when you gave that command."</p>
    <p>Crowe's smile remained, but her eyes narrowed into slits. "Yes, you were. But you're also caught." She pointed at the crown in Lightning's hand, the weight much more heavier than she thought.</p>
    <p>Crowe made her the give-it-to-me motion, and Lightning was about to move, when the vault behind her opened.</p>
    <p>Immediately swords were raised anew, mostly at the pink haired thief, when Nyx came out nursing his head and looking pissed.</p>
    <p>Crowe took one look at him and burst out laughing. "'<em>You guys stay here',</em> he said, <em>'I can handle her alone,' </em>he said. Look at you! You're soaking wet like an angry shivering kitten!" She mocked him by deepening her voice when she imitated him.</p>
    <p>Nyx wasn't happy at all. Caught off guard and beaten, the little thief would have given him the slip if his fellow Kingsglaive weren't stationed outside. "Shut your trap, Altius." He turned and glared at the foreign thief so hard, his face might have gotten stuck like that. "And you ruined my uniform."</p>
    <p>He held up one of his purple ribbons that was torn apart at the spot that Lightning had pinned him with against the wall. She didn't look apologetic about killing part of his aesthetics. "Those things are useless and they'll only serve as a weakness." Lightning told him truthfully. He may have been her capturer, but if he wanted to prevent any other close encounter with those things flying about him as a serving point to defeat him, she'll warn him about it. "And they're ugly anyway."</p>
    <p>At this, Nyx glowered. "You bitc—"</p>
    <p>"Calm down, kitty, retract those claws." Crowe told Ulric, intervening playfully as she quickly approached Lightning and Nyx before one attacked the other. "Besides, you're the only one of us who have those things. I think it's time to get rid of them."</p>
    <p>Nyx puffed up his cheeks like an unsatisfied child. "But I like them." He pouted.</p>
    <p>The other guards around them snickered too, all amused at the situation except Lightning. She found herself in a type of trouble she had never been before; busted and arrested.</p>
    <p>Crowe took the crown from her, Nyx derived pleasure of handcuffing her himself, and she was led down all the stairs — they didn't even want her to go with the elevator — down and down the stairs, not easy with a long dress and bare feet, but they didn't help her as they climbed down, which only made the journey longer.</p>
    <p>She was underground when they put her in a room. There were no windows but she was surprised that she found herself in a <em>room</em>, and not a cell or… a dungeon or whatever this castle may have.</p>
    <p>Although a rather bald room; with a bed, a desk and chair, and even something of a painting. It was fancier than she expected for the Lucii to put a criminal into, especially one who just tried to steal the king's family crown, but she wouldn't be complaining.</p>
    <p>She spent the next few days there, learning the names of Crowe and Nyx first. They were the ones who interrogated her, trying to get every single detail out of her life. She tried pushing them to their limits, holding her tongue on the more personal stuff, but they in turn didn't push her when she didn't answer either. They were very unhinged around her and didn't really treat her like they should treat a criminal.</p>
    <p>Crowe had asked her how she got to the fifth floor without anyone or the cameras spotting her. Lightning kept it secret for a day or two, but Crowe had her own manner of annoyingly getting her way. She came into the cell-room — for that is what Light dubbed it now — with a very pleased expression.</p>
    <p>"Hey Ciderella," Crowe nicknamed her right then and there. "We found your shoes in the restroom. They're very nice. And it so happens that we share the same shoe size. They're mine now."</p>
    <p>Lightning had then been two days in her cell-room, from what she could tell. "They're LeBouffin shoes. Take care of them, please."</p>
    <p>"Why, I don't think you actually bought them. You stole 'em right, since thieving is your thing?" Crowe sat down at the one chair in the cell-room, nibbling on a kebab stick she brought along to share with their prisoner.</p>
    <p>Lightning remarked that she really liked the shashlik instead, but Crowe liked the kebab the best and that's all she ever brought on purpose. But Lightning wasn't going to pass up the offer. "You're right, I didn't buy them." She told the story to the Glaive about how Fang bought them, a pair of 1300 gil shoes. <em>They walk like heaven,</em> the guild leader once said. "But I didn't steal them. Got them as a present actually." She wasn't going to buy shoes that expensive when she could use that money to help Serah instead. A fact these Lucii didn't need to know, no matter how many grilled meat sticks they brought with them.</p>
    <p>During her days in her cell-room she quickly came to know the other Kingsglaive members; Axis Arra was responsible for delivering her food and he was a quiet, reserved man who blushed every time he visited. Lightning called him an endearing little schoolgirl one time and only then he finally found the courage to speak to her.</p>
    <p>The very next time Nyx came by, he was without his ribbons and when Lightning pointed that out, he flustered and grumbled that he wasn't happy about it, but he guessed that an experienced thief had a point. She teased him for quite a while after that.</p>
    <p>Three days passed in her cell-room when Crowe finally came to pull her out. "Shower time." She told the her and Lightning could have cried of relief.</p>
    <p>They didn't offer her to change out of her dress since she was arrested, and she was sure she smelled awful by then, and she felt sticky and gross. She tickled the thought of figuring a way out to escape once she was done with showering, but Crowe was assigned to look after her while she was at it, and the Glaive took that order <em>very</em> seriously.</p>
    <p>"No need to be embarrassed, hun." Crowe told Lightning as she pulled her dress off and asked if Crowe would give her some privacy. "You ain't got nothing that I don't have so get to it. We don't have all day. The king wants to see you."</p>
    <p>That brought a whole new set of nerves that Lightning wasn't used to. Since she got arrested a few days ago, no one breathed a word about the king. She remembered the man from whom she guessed had to be the king at the party, surrounded by lords. Despite just being crowned, he walked with a cane and had a limp on his right leg from what she could recall. And he looked like a stern, unforgivable fellow. He was smiling, graying hair stylishly combed back at the time, but no doubt in front of the thief who tried to steal his ancestral jewelry from right under him he would be severe without any leniency.</p>
    <p>If she were him, she wouldn't let her down easy. And that most of all, made her unbelievably nervous.</p>
    <p>It made her rebellious too. She decided that if she was going to face her executioner today, she was going to do so with her head held high.</p>
    <p>Crowe handed her a fresh set of clothes, but Lightning refused. "I want my dress back."</p>
    <p>The Mage Glaive stared at Lightning appalled. "That smelly old thing? You'd come before the king like a stinking coot? The dress has been gnarled at by your farts and sweat, you'd not be fit to be seen."</p>
    <p>Lightning was sure that if she weren't their prisoner, she would have liked Crowe the best. The woman had no filter on her and was honest without a fault.</p>
    <p>But still, the thief didn't care. "He found it good enough to leave me like I was for three whole days without changing, he'll find me good enough now."</p>
    <p>There was some bickering between the two, perhaps some pushing and pulling involved like little children, but Lightning promised not to move a step unless she got to wear the same black ball gown she had initially arrived in.</p>
    <p>Eventually it was given, and although the dress felt gross all over again, it remained as beautiful as the day she first wore it, with an added odor to it.</p>
    <p>She was escorted through the castle by half the Kingsglaive members she knew by now. Crowe's smirking ass wouldn't leave Lightning's side for a second. Luche took their flank looking serious and unamused. Axis was blushing pink as soon as he saw Lightning again and Tredd straight up told her she smelled like a mix of soap and unwashed clothes. He laughed about it, but his face melted into sobriety once they approached the throne room, where the king would be awaiting her.</p>
    <p>It was a beautiful castle to be sure, the little of it that Lightning could see. She knew the ins and outs of the king's home by heart, still remembering the blueprints, but to see the place with her own eyes was a marvel.</p>
    <p>She couldn't enjoy it for long, because she was hastened along to the throne and once she stood in front of the closed giant golden doors, Nyx Ulric appeared in a flash of sparkling dust and ribbon-less uniform.</p>
    <p>Lightning had no idea how he could do that, and she hadn't time to wonder either.</p>
    <p>"Judgment time- wait…" He started, trying to sound threateningly until he took a good glimpse of her. "Are you wearing <em>the same</em> dress?"</p>
    <p>Her sea green eyes frowned at him. "What of it?"</p>
    <p>He rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable." He sighed under his breath and grabbed her arm, hauling her along with him. "Time to go, Stinky."</p>
    <p>Crowe waved at her with a wiggle of her fingers. "Good luck, Ciderella."</p>
    <p>Lightning couldn't even answer as Nyx dragged her into the throne room and she scribbled back. She wanted to come to the place dignified, glaring down at the king from whatever high horse he was sitting on, ready to fight him on the spot even if it meant she was sentenced for death, and not be pulled over to him like a ravaged dog.</p>
    <p>"Prisoner thirteen, Your Majesty, only known as 'Lightning,' highly wanted international criminal. Arrested for theft and burglary, as well as resistance of arrest." He pushed her forward and to put insult over injury, Lightning stumbled to the steps. Indignant and angry, her stare trailing up the many steps like it was some sort of grand staircase to the fantastically huge seat. Three young lords stood on one side of the staircase that was leading up to the seated monarch in his throne.</p>
    <p>Lightning's eyes widened to saucers. "<em>You're</em> the king?"</p>
    <p>Noctis looked like he was born to be in that throne, looking impeccable and so regal that she might have cowered had she been any other woman. She didn't know if the marvel of the place enhanced his beauty or he did in reverse, but he was a sight to behold unlike anything she had ever seen before. In her lifetime she had gazed upon the biggest diamonds, the rarest of rubies, many Renaissance paintings of legendary artists, but none held a candle to seeing Noctis betwixt black gold and ivory statues, befit for his title and station seated upon that throne.</p>
    <p>It was the first time someone stole her breath.</p>
    <p>"It's a plot twist." King Caelum joked, breaking the intimidating air he had going for himself. Ignis massaged the bridge of his nose and shook his head.</p>
    <p>"You were the king that whole time?" The party was for <em>him</em>? He was the freshly crowned monarch. And he pretended that he wasn't anyone when he was talking to her?</p>
    <p>She racked her brain to remember if he stood out in any way during the party that would even hint that he was the king, but nothing. She thought and remembered that he was the one who was standing near the buffet table with the two Kingsglaive guards behind him. He was the one who spotted her putting her phone there and returned it.</p>
    <p>He lounged about like he was any other guest, undisturbed by anyone except to surround himself with the three lords who stood besides him on the steps near the throne right now. He didn't look anything special that night and he was the king?!</p>
    <p>To make matters worse, he was wearing the very same crystal crown she came to steal on his head right now. "As you were the thief all that time. Funny how things turn out."</p>
    <p>That pretentious son of a bitch. "Hilarious." Lightning spat between clenched teeth, feeling anything but amused.</p>
    <p>She had never searched up who this new king was, because it would have become obvious at the party regardless. Since the Sultan of Zanarkand, she never wanted to afflict herself with royalty ever again, and some faraway king in a previously unknown kingdom named Lucis, she wasn't going to take the trouble of looking up who he was. She figured the king would be much too busy shaking hands and kissing babies, being surrounded by people who wanted his favor. She never would have pegged the young man surrounded by his young friends, closed off from most guests by the buffet table, to be the Lucii sovereign. If she knew, she would have avoided him like the plague, as she intended in the first place. But she let herself linger and be distracted by a stranger instead of keeping her eyes on the price, only because he was nice and handsome.</p>
    <p>Stupid. Foolish.</p>
    <p>Ignis handed Noct a single piece of paper, and he read aloud from it, pretty much repeating what was already said. "So you're charged with theft and resisting arrest from a Kingsglaive, and also charged with destroying private property-"</p>
    <p>"I didn't break anything!" Lightning interrupted the king with a snarl. Call her a thief and a rebel or what have you, but she didn't break a single glass in this castle.</p>
    <p>"You ripped part of my uniform!" Nyx protested behind her and she could have throttled him. His stupid ribbons was what she was seriously charged with?</p>
    <p>"They're an invaluable part of his identity and uniform," Noctis explained above her with an air of nonchalance. "He filed a complaint against you that I can't ignore."</p>
    <p>"That's it? Didn't he file an assault lawsuit for kicking his ass too?" Lightning wished she could turn around and hit the Glaive all over again.</p>
    <p>A screeching whine erupted from behind her. "She did not!"</p>
    <p>Noctis raised a hand and the hall went quiet again. "It's a great crime to be uninvited near the crystal, let alone steal from the royal family." His countenance had turned entirely impassive. It seems like playtime was over. "Do you know the consequences of that?"</p>
    <p>Lightning bit her lip. Imprisonment, no doubt, if not worse. "I do."</p>
    <p>Noctis looked down at her, the only difference of color was his eyes, an ocean deep blue against a clash of all black or white. "Then I leave you with no choice but an ultimatum." That perked Lightning's ears. She expected him to pass down her sentence immediately. "You can be send into a maximum secured Lucii prison for thirty years to life…"</p>
    <p>He paused and it only managed to flare Lightning's impatience. "Or?" She prompted, hoping the next choice wasn't a death sentence.</p>
    <p>"Or," King Caelum said with a smile that was entirely too improper for the situation. "You can have dinner with me."</p>
    <p>Lightning choked. Someone behind her as well. Prompto was grinning like a fool. Gladiolus tried to hide his laughter behind his fist. Ignis, with the best poker face of them all, kept his face perfectly straight.</p>
    <p>Lightning gawked at Noctis like a fish out of water. "Is this some kind of joke?!" Was he the stupidest king that had ever lived? "Are you serious?"</p>
    <p>"Completely." Noctis lifted both his shoulders while in his throne, leaning backwards, waiting for her answer. "Prison or dinner."</p>
    <p>She was so shocked with this outcome that she couldn't answer him immediately. She looked about the place, to the king's three friends who didn't burst out laughing or even to Nyx Ulric, who was just as astonished and dumbstruck as she was. King Noctis wasn't joking and she crossed her arms over her soiled dress before she dared to narrow her eyes at him.</p>
    <p>"You're honestly saying that you will let me free if I have dinner with you?"</p>
    <p>The corner of his alluring mouth lifted arrogantly. "Yes."</p>
    <p>She wanted to choose prison just to see that smug smirk melt from his face. Pride would have let her become irrational and take the one option he never thought she would pick, just because he was so certain and full of himself.</p>
    <p>But her imprisonment would affect Serah too, leaving her to fend for herself and Lightning couldn't live with that. Besides, it was <em>just </em>dinner.</p>
    <p>"Fine." She huffed, having no idea how cute she looked when she did so. "But it better be steak."</p>
  </div>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>see Lightning's dress of tonight <a href="https://64.media.tumblr.com/7531456977111103945848d03fe57382/4321a94454e122c4-75/s400x600/3b457f01740be5726108ea90024632e9248f6fc9.jpg">right here</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Lucii Dinner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>.The Lucii Dinner.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p>
    <strong>~XV/XIII~</strong>
  </p>
  <p>"Is this a good idea at all, your majesty?" Ignis held his papers with one hand, while rearranging his glasses with his other. "She's a criminal, and wanted in four countries. Your life is more important than some thief who could kidnap you and ransom you for money."</p>
  <p>Noctis laughed at his oldest friend. "Has someone ever told you that you're paranoid, Iggy?"</p>
  <p>"If I am, it's only for the best, your majesty."</p>
  <p>"It's gonna be fine, Ignis. It's <em>just</em> dinner. It's not like I'm following her into battle." Noctis slapped Ignis on his shoulder with a broad smile. "Besides, did I ever have a bad plan?"</p>
  <p>"Constantly." The bespectacled man deadpanned.</p>
  <p>Noctis shook his head and left Ignis behind to head towards the garage.</p>
  <p>
    <strong>~XIII/XV~</strong>
  </p>
  <p>Lightning's punishment was set to be carried out the next day, to her great relief, but this time she was granted one of the grand bedrooms to stay prisoned in, instead of her little cell-room somewhere in the underbelly of the castle. Although everything was of marble and gold and porcelain, with a very pretty view of the city besides, Lightning still wasn't allowed to leave. Guards were still placed outside her doors.</p>
  <p>The bed she got was unnecessarily huge and filled with cushions, but it was soft and warm and Lightning couldn't complain except to wait and see what the next day will bring her.</p>
  <p>She was picked up first by one of the Kingsglaive as Lightning predicted, to take her to that dreadful king to have this dreadful dinner.</p>
  <p>The moment Crowe appeared at Lightning's guestroom, she threw the thief a bag of clothes. "You should get ready for your big date." Crowe grinned at Lightning's unamused expression. "It's not every day that a prince finds his lost date with her missing shoe."</p>
  <p>Lightning sniffed indignantly. "It's not like that. I'm just going to eat and he happens to be paying."</p>
  <p>Crowe smirked. "Sure."</p>
  <p>Lightning didn't appreciate the sarcastic tone she was hearing from Crowe. King Caelum could think whatever he wants, but Lightning was going to just eat her meal and then she only wanted to go home. She had a sister waiting who she needed to see and also had to go and admit to Fang that she failed her mark. The leader of Monoculus was not going to like that.</p>
  <p>"I thought those might fit you. I got them from a friend, once." Crowe pointed out as her prisoner unpacked the bag of clothes. It was nothing more than a cute black dress, pretty simplistic except for the lace that covered the dipping neckline. And for that Lightning was grateful.</p>
  <p>Once she was as ready as she was going to be, Crowe brought Lightning along towards the underground garage of the castle, where the first of the other two kingsglaive was the ever begrudging face of Nyx Ulric that greeted her.</p>
  <p>"Well, well, well, if it isn't the lost Ciderella here to reclaim her little shoe?" Nyx sneered at her as soon as she approached.</p>
  <p>Their running gag of them calling her Ciderella was getting on Lightning's nerves. "Keep that up and I'll shove that reclaimed shoe so far up your ass you'll be tasting soles for a month."</p>
  <p>Libertus and Pelna snickered at that and as soon as Nyx gave them a cutting glare, they instantly stopped. Despite her words, Nyx smirked at Lightning and stepped up to her until they were nearly nose to nose. "You shouldn't be making such threats, cherry blossom. We can still have you thrown in that maximum secured prison. I'd love to get you in there myself."</p>
  <p>Lightning wasn't daunted and defiantly looked up at him from below his chin. She didn't care about his height, she'd knee him in the gut and see how fast he'll come down to her level. She would've shown him exactly how less of a shit she gave, when Crowe came to the rescue.</p>
  <p>"Alright, children, play nice will ya?" Crowe tried to calm Nyx's hotheaded temper before things got out of hand. She knew too well that Ulric liked a challenge in women.</p>
  <p>"Oh, I'll play nice alright." Nyx said all the way in Lightning's face. "As soon as Strawberry Shortcake over here knows her place."</p>
  <p>"Get off it Nyx, before she kicks your ass again." Libertus laughed. Ever since the little thief had bested Ulric during her arrest, the other Glaives hadn't let him forget it.</p>
  <p>"If you want I'll get you some kebab later to nurse your wounds." Pelna joked. "My treat."</p>
  <p>Nyx narrowed his eyes at Lightning, ignoring the rest. "You're just lucky you have the king's favor."</p>
  <p>Lightning's smirk was sardonic. "Even with the king's favor I can still break your jaw."</p>
  <p>"Heh." She got guts, that's for sure. Even with her threat, Nyx grinned still. "I like you. And I'll be glad when your ass is gone soon."</p>
  <p>Lightning couldn't answer when Crowe shoved her hand in Nyx's face and physically pushed him away. "Stop being childish."</p>
  <p>Suddenly Pelna announced that they had to quit their goofing around. "His majesty is arriving," Pelna heard through the intercom that Noctis was by the garage. He turned to give the pink haired thief his thumbs up. "You have fun on your date."</p>
  <p>"It's <em>not</em> a date." Lightning deadpanned, but the Glaives grinned and sniggered anyhow.</p>
  <p>
    <strong>~XV/XIII~</strong>
  </p>
  <p>As soon as Noctis saw Lightning pouting by the garage entrance, a grin grew on his face that he couldn't suppress.</p>
  <p>He was sure she didn't realize she was doing it, for a slight frown was etched on her brow as she looked at Crowe and Pelna, who were joking around her while they waited.</p>
  <p>The Kingsglaive bowed when they saw him, but Noctis only stared at Lightning. "You look nice." The king of Lucis complimented her, and then nodded towards his Glaives for their reverence.</p>
  <p>Lightning's eyes lingered on him longer than what would have been appropriate. "What happened to your loose pants and stained shirt?" His hair was still spikey and his eyes a piercing blue, but besides some slacks, the shirt he wore was clean and fitted to his form perfectly.</p>
  <p>She hated how he looked so impeccable without trying. She was fighting a blush with the way he looked at her. "Don't want to try too much to look like a slob. Gotta make an effort sometimes."</p>
  <p>The insinuation that he did it for her was not lost on Lightning. She swallowed hard. "Let's just go."</p>
  <p>It came as a surprise to her when Noctis dismissed his Kingsglaive right thereafter. "Thank you for your duty." He thanked them and with a sprinkle of floating crystal shards and magic, they all warped away.</p>
  <p>"Your majesty." All four Kingsglaive said in unison before they disappeared.</p>
  <p>"Alright then." The king looked around the garage which car to pick.</p>
  <p>Lightning said nothing at the moment, only eyeing the convertibles, motorcycles and sedans around her. Noctis made an <em>eureka</em> kind of sound. "How about we take the Star of Lucis?"</p>
  <p>"The what of what now?"</p>
  <p>The alarm flashed off silently of one of the sleekest sports cars Lightning had ever seen. Noctis invited her to enter but didn't go ahead and opened the door for her. She would have punched him if he did.</p>
  <p>She was intent to violently swing open the doors of the car and hopefully scratch that fancy paintwork of it, when instead the doors slowly rose to the sky like a pair of butterfly wings. Soured once more that her petty plans crumbled, she slipped into the low Audi with an interior that smelled like leather and felt like velvet.</p>
  <p>"Nice car." She told Noctis once he was seated, albeit with a slightly more sarcastic tone than she meant.</p>
  <p>If he noticed he well ignored it. Smiling brightly instead, he revved up the engine and it purred to life. "Thanks! My dad gave this Audi to me for my eighteenth birthday and called it the Star of Lucis, but I admit I hardly ever drive it."</p>
  <p>"Yeah, bet you prefer one of your other dozen cars. Hmph, rich boy." She grumbled under her breath.</p>
  <p>Lightning wasn't sure if he heard her and she wouldn't have cared if he was insulted by that, but she conceded it might be in her best interest to keep him - at the very least - not entirely offended with her. He could still throw her in prison at his very whim.</p>
  <p>"Wanna check out how fast this baby really can go?" At least he'd had the sense to pull up on a highway. Before Lightning could answer that she wasn't the least bit interested, he put his foot all the way to the floor and sped his Audi between cars and trucks alike.</p>
  <p>Lightning had mostly disregarded speeding limits in her experience as well, but that was when she was the driver. It was quite different as the passenger when they're practically flying down the road at breakneck speed. "Is this really necessary?"</p>
  <p>"It's been too long since I've driven a car myself." Noctis grinned, not once slowing down. "I almost forgot how awesome it was."</p>
  <p>"It would be awesome if you didn't drive as a lunatic and calmed down." The wind whistled against the windows and gravity pushed Lightning down into the leather seats.</p>
  <p>As if it were possible, he accelerated even more. His car flew down the highway, zipping past everyone while Noctis expertly dodged and avoided all the other vehicles. "No way. I'm too fast and too furious now!"</p>
  <p>"Are you insane?" This was not the time to joke around and yet here he was. "I will literally knock out your teeth if you don't slow down this instant."</p>
  <p>"Alright, alright." He said with a laugh, doing as she demanded. "Phew! That was exciting. Staying too long in that castle will suck all the fun out of your life."</p>
  <p>Lightning frantically looked around to make sure he caused no accident and hurt innocent people. "You are crazy, aren't you? That would explain the reason why you invited me to dinner instead of sending me to prison."</p>
  <p>He gave her one sideways grin. "That isn't the reason why."</p>
  <p>Lightning gaped at him incredulously. "I'm wondering who the throne will be appointed to once its current king abdicated due to insanity."</p>
  <p>"Well," He grinned at his own musings as he was driving. "<em>Mad king Noctis </em>does roll nicely off the tongue."</p>
  <p>She scoffed, crossed her arms and went on looking through the window in silence. Noctis let her brood, finding an opportunity to steal glances at her between switching gears, smirking all the while.</p>
  <p>She was so very pretty, and she didn't even know it.</p>
  <p>Thankfully, the rest of the car ride he kept to the speed limit. Lightning only eyed the scenery they passed by trying to ignore the king as much as possible in the rather small space of the car.</p>
  <p>Of course, <em>he</em> wasn't going to shut up. "So is this your first time in Insomnia?"</p>
  <p>"Yep. And my last time too, if I can help it." She was right. Royalties truly were a pain world's over. This was the last time she'll ever take a job involving anyone of royal blood.</p>
  <p>"Ah, in that case, I should show you my beautiful city."</p>
  <p>"I would love to, by anyone else who isn't an idiot." She pointedly looked at him, so there was no doubt who the idiot was in this equation.</p>
  <p>"I wouldn't say that about the king." Noctis feigned hurt. "He could cut your tongue out for that."</p>
  <p>Lightning huffed at him. "From what I can see, the king wouldn't even know what to do with my tongue if he had it."</p>
  <p>Noctis eyed her in a manner that suggested he knew <em>exactly</em> what he would do, but wisely referred from voicing his thoughts out loud.</p>
  <p>But their agreement was to have dinner, so they needed a place to eat. "So what're you up for?"</p>
  <p>Out of spite Lightning wanted to suggest the most exclusive fanciest restaurant Insomnia had to offer. A place where the sushi alone would've cost twelve hundred gil per plate. But she knew that would be a waste of money. He was a king. Anything she suggested he could afford easily and she wasn't up for sushi anyway. "I told you it had better be steak if I were to agree to this dinner."</p>
  <p>"Well, it was that or prison." He snorted out a laugh, but when he saw her deadly glare he sobered up with a smile. "But steak it is then." He glanced for the time at his silver inlaid watch. "I know a spot."</p>
  <p>Noctis brought them to a quaint hob on the outskirts of the skyscraper-filled city. He parked right at the front of the place like he gave no fly whether he was even allowed to park there or not.</p>
  <p>Lightning slipped out of the car and inspected the restaurant Noctis decided to take them. It looked rustic and quiet. Despite that, inside there were enough patrons present to keep the place bustling.</p>
  <p>As soon as they entered, a host received them by the door. "Dinner for two, may I assume?" The host asked.</p>
  <p>"You may." Noctis confirmed happily. "It's just the two of us."</p>
  <p>Lightning wished he didn't say that like they were a couple or that this was a date. It's <em>not</em>.</p>
  <p>The host appointed them to a table, promising someone would come attend to them soon.</p>
  <p>There was a big candelabra the size of Lightning's upper body on the table, with tall candles dripping down wax like tears. The seats were of rich fluffy silk, printed in baroque style, looking like it belonged sooner in some vampire's castle than in a restaurant.</p>
  <p>Noctis was ready to move her chair aside for her so she can take a seat, but Lightning threw him such a look of murder that he refrained from even coming closer. He still sat down with a smile and Lightning thought him the biggest buffoon in the world.</p>
  <p>No sooner had they settled and a garçon with ideas of such high standing that he looked down on them almost patronizingly, passing them a menu card covered in velvet and asking them what they'd like to drink. "The house wine is adequate as well." His manner was entirely condescending, as if he thought that they did not have a single clue on the finer qualities of wine.</p>
  <p>Noctis glanced in Lightning's direction. "Any particular vintage that you want?"</p>
  <p>Lightning's narrowed look at the garçon made him uneasy. "Open a pinot <em>Deloach</em>," A smirk followed. "<em>If</em> your cellar carries such a variety."</p>
  <p>The garçon looked almost affronted. "Of course we do, madam."</p>
  <p>The new monarch didn't really know what to say. For someone of his social standing, the knowledge of vintages was something his father, Ignis, and all his previous tutors of etiquette tried to tell him the importance of wine tasting. But he never took an interest to learn at all.</p>
  <p>How much he regretted such right now when it made him awkward trying to remember what was considered exquisite vintage. "Wouldn't, uh, a <em>De Gris</em> fit better?" Lightning had managed to pronounce the name of her chosen wine with the perfect accent and intonation that would make someone of southern Tenebrae proud. Noctis hardly could say <em>De Gris</em> without sounding like an illiterate medieval peasant stumbling over a fancy word.</p>
  <p>Lightning seemed amused. Her smirk softened and Noctis didn't know if she was mocking him, but she was still a sight to behold. "The <em>Deloach</em> will match better during dinner."</p>
  <p>The garçon bowed and left to process their requested order.</p>
  <p>And as soon as he left, Noctis whistled instead. "You sure do know your wines."</p>
  <p>There was a downturn curve of distaste on her lips. "I've been around enough of your type of rich socialites to pick up a thing or two."</p>
  <p>"Couldn't be me." Noctis chuckled. "I know nothing of vintages except how to get drunk on them."</p>
  <p>The expression she sent his way was identically given to him by high lords and ladies who thought his commoner behavior was beneath him as the crown prince. In turn, Noctis had always disliked such judgemental looks. They thought they were superior to others, so in turn the heir to the throne had to act better than everyone else too. "For someone who so clearly hates the elite, you sure can act like one."</p>
  <p>"You'd be surprised how hard it is to fit in if you don't." The elites were like bloodhounds, if they so much as suspected someone to be beneath them they would throw her out. If she didn't look like the part, dress like the part or act like the part, it would be that much harder to get to her mark.</p>
  <p>Why break into places when she could be invited in?</p>
  <p>The garçon arrived with all the pomp of someone presenting a marvelous bottle of wine like a true dilettante. He uncorked it, allowed the drink to breathe, before pouring just a bit of the alcohol in Noctis's glass first. Thinking that the monarch knew he had to taste the wine for approval, the garçon waited for his action only to realize after a heartbeat that Noctis did nothing but sit and stare at Lightning like the flushed fool that he was. The man scoffed and continued to fill both of the guests' glasses. "One serving of the Deloach will suffice, I presume?"</p>
  <p>Noctis answered, "Yes."</p>
  <p>But Lightning overruled that decision without sparing the garçon a look. "Leave the bottle."</p>
  <p>The man was startled, and when the lady's date didn't oppose of the rather expensive wine bottle, the waiter left it behind.</p>
  <p>Even as Noctis took a sip of his wine and made a sour face, Lightning thought how easy it was for her to just smash her own glass against his head and make a run for it.</p>
  <p>He couldn't have possibly thought that he was safe with her, did he? Surely this king wasn't <em>that</em> much of a fool?</p>
  <p>She frowned suspiciously at him. "Why didn't you bring your Kingsglaive?"</p>
  <p>"Why should I?" He inspected his wine. He actually liked it. "They're the very reason I take you out. They like to gossip like a couple of milkmaids. I don't need to hear them snicker at everything that's being said."</p>
  <p>"What if I do something to you?" When he raised an eyebrow in question she was quick to elaborate. "What if I tried to kill you?"</p>
  <p>"I don't need their protection to take care of myself. And if anything did happen, I'll just yell '<em>save me save me</em>' until an unlikely hero flies to the rescue." He chuckled, waving his fingers in an attempt to portray a helpless victim.</p>
  <p>But she looked at him like he was an idiot, shaking her head in a way that she couldn't believe an actual king of an actual country was this much of a clown. "You're such a dork."</p>
  <p>His laughter turned sheepish. "They are a protection measurement. I don't need them around for you."</p>
  <p>She was just thinking how she could smash her glass against him to knock him unconscious. "What makes you so sure?"</p>
  <p>He leaned over as if he was going to tell her a secret. "I'm better than all of them."</p>
  <p>She eyed him from head to boot, and whatever she saw didn't impress her much. "Really?" A skeptic sound emerged from her. Nyx and Crowe and even Pelna had something dangerous and lethal about them, an air that spoke for them that when they got serious they were not to be messed around with. Noctis on the other hand...</p>
  <p>"Yep." He popped with alacrity. "Besides, you wouldn't kill me."</p>
  <p>"Bold of you to assume that when I can have this knife here against your throat in a second." She pointed at the silverware on the table in front of her.</p>
  <p>"That could have been a legit threat." Noctis smiled.</p>
  <p>Lightning huffed. "That's because it is."</p>
  <p>"Would have been, but I know you don't kill anyone."</p>
  <p>She didn't like that he called her bluff.</p>
  <p>The grin he sent her lingered on him when another garçon arrived, one with less of a superior attitude, and the waiter stuttered to a halt at the sight of Noctis Caelum's smile. He quickly asked them if they made a choice of the menu yet.</p>
  <p>"Steak." Lightning said bluntly. "Medium cooked, with whatever complimentary sauce of the house."</p>
  <p>"Certainly, madam." The garçon noted. "And for you, sir?"</p>
  <p>The king rifled another second through the menu. "Hmm, the trout fillet is looking good. But I'll take the tender garula sirloin with risotto and Angelgard rock salt."</p>
  <p>That order was so incredibly stuck up, Lightning wondered why she even thought anything less of king. Of course he couldn't order something <em>normal</em>.</p>
  <p>"Excellent, sir. It'll be arranged immediately." The garçon left them to progress their meals for preparation.</p>
  <p>Then they were left alone. Lightning only wanted her steak so she can get this over with and go home.</p>
  <p>She was determined to not say a single word throughout this entire dinner with him, but if truth be told, she was curious to his motive behind giving her the option to be cleared after this dinner with him. She burgled her way into a very secured place that they were very protective of for a reason; she got caught red handed trying to steal a royal artefact, anyone else would have locked her up somewhere where she wouldn't even see the light of day.</p>
  <p>"What's the point of going on a dinner with me?" She demanded hotly. "What're you trying to achieve?"</p>
  <p>"Nothing." He shrugged. "My whole life I've met all kinds of people. But not someone like you."</p>
  <p>Lightning's face remained taciturn. "What, an international super thief?"</p>
  <p>Noctis scratched his chin. "Well," He elongated the word. "I wouldn't say <em>super</em> considering you got caught."</p>
  <p>Her viridian green eyes narrowed. She leaned over the table, nearing closer to Noctis in a way that caught his breath. Shocked that Lightning would make a move so brazen, Noctis froze up, awe and surprise crossing his face.</p>
  <p>"I've stolen diamonds you could only dream of," Lightning said in deadly silence, her face mere centimeters removed from his. "I got classical arts you've only seen in pictures. I could rob you blind and you wouldn't even know what hit you."</p>
  <p>With that, she angrily slumped back into her seat, offended that the king would call her anything less than the greatest thief that ever graced his kingdom.</p>
  <p>Noctis swallowed thickly, overcome by how pretty she was even when she was sneering in his face and fought off the blush he could just <em>feel</em> creeping up his cheeks. He was a whole monarch for Ifrit's sake! He did not have to blush like some kind of maiden when a criminal hissed at him in close proximity. He let out a sheepish laugh instead. "I really think I would notice. You still got busted."</p>
  <p>"I guess there's a first time for everything." And yet, to contradict her words, Lightning flashed him his very own watch he was wearing not a second ago with an almost bored expression. She managed to slide off the very expensive silver watch from his wrist without him ever realizing.</p>
  <p>"H-how?"</p>
  <p>"Not a super thief, huh?" She sniffed, throwing his Audi's car keys as well as his phone that she also slipped straight out of his pocket on the table between them. "I could steal the shirt off your back without you even knowing it."</p>
  <p>Noctis grinned quite slyly. "Is that a challenge?"</p>
  <p>"Keep dreaming little king." Lightning hissed at him.</p>
  <p>"I can assure you," Noctis said with a smirk that made her spine into jelly. "I'm everything <em>but</em> little."</p>
  <p>She made it too easy for him to make that innuendo and she wished she could stab him in the leg with her fork. Instead, she swallowed down her wine in one gulp to chase away the trembles while he laughed at her. It was a nice sound, and an unfamiliar feeling settled in her stomach. No one has ever laughed at her expense. And yet the way he did made it feel like he was laughing <em>with</em> her rather than at her. People didn't even tend to do so much as <em>that</em> with Lightning. They considered her too cold hearted and aloof. Noctis didn't think so. This was strange.</p>
  <p>"Oh, ha ha. Very funny." She grumbled, her cheeks almost tingling pink with embarrassment. "You're probably the funniest person at home, aren't you?"</p>
  <p>"I am!" King Noctis had a skill to ignore her sarcasm when it suited him, clearly. "I once witnessed my dad crack the lamest joke in one of his speeches as an opening line. I can tell you, you could hear a pin drop that's how silent it was. It was painful, honestly."</p>
  <p>"And that makes you think you're any better?"</p>
  <p>"Couldn't be worse than that. One day I'll be remembered as the Comedian King or Noctis the Jester."</p>
  <p>"Hmm, you do look like a giant Fool." She had a court clown in mind but the word play made her crack up at herself.</p>
  <p>Noctis thought that there was something marvelous in seeing Lightning enjoy herself, it was nice. Lovely, even. "Don't think I doubt your thieving skills, though." He said quickly, to keep both his eyes and mind away from lingering on how alluring she is. "If I had not alerted the Kingsglaive that night, you might have succeeded in stealing the crown."</p>
  <p>Everything within Lightning screeched to an agonizing halt. "Wait, <em>you </em>reported to the Kingsglaive?"</p>
  <p>He nodded unapologetically, seemingly happy with his decision to rat her out. "And you would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for this meddling kid." He chuckled, pointing at himself.</p>
  <p>Lightning wanted to hit him. "How'd you know I came to steal your crown?" She spat between gritted teeth, sorely tempted to throttle him and his dumb jokes.</p>
  <p>He reached for his wine glass. "I didn't. The first time you spoke of the king like I wasn't in front of you, I thought you were just playing. I figured you were keeping up pretenses to pull my attention. But then you said you were to meet the king and I didn't see you again. It's then it hit me that you had sincerely no idea who I was." He took a sip, holding her stare as he swallowed, before continuing with his explanation. "Improbable, considering where we were, but had you known I was the newly crowned monarch, I wouldn't have suspected you. Added with the fact that when I found you on my veranda bare feet and hoisting up your dress… not a bad view, I admit, but immensely suspicious so I informed the Glaives to keep an eye on you." He raised his glass then, as if toasting on her blundering behalf.</p>
  <p>Lightning sputtered all to herself. To think she got caught because she had to talk to the charming guy. "How would I have figured that you're the king? You were all apart from everyone in the room, by the buffet table with your awkward looking friends." She called him the party's losers she remembered. "Then who was that man in the middle of the ballroom shaking hands with everyone?"</p>
  <p>"That was my dad!" He said elated. "He's much better at dealing with all those politicians and bootlickers, so I just opted out. I've had more than enough of my fill of them since my coronation, and he agreed to keep them busy. One fortunate accident later and I met you."</p>
  <p>He sounded so happy about it. "Well don't overpraise yourself. I only came to steal your crown." He would have otherwise never seen her.</p>
  <p>It was that moment that the garçon chose to arrive with their plates. He set a beautifully prepared medium rare steak in front of Lightning, adorned with pepper sauce and garnish.</p>
  <p>The plate he put down in front of Noctis was an atrocity. Lightning gawked at his sirloin like it's alien. "What even is that?" The meat was black and not because it was burned. It was black with white ringed bones poking out of it.</p>
  <p>"It's garula." Noctis pointed out. "A Lucian delicacy."</p>
  <p>Lightning almost wanted to kill the abomination he called a sirloin all over again. "It looks gross."</p>
  <p>"It's great." Noctis countered. "Wanna try some?"</p>
  <p>She'd rather starve. "No, thank you."</p>
  <p>"You're missing out." He shrugged, starting to dig into his food with his fork. "Tastes just like chicken."</p>
  <p>Lightning rolled her eyes and wondered how she got herself into this mess. All she wanted was a paycheck big enough to make her and her sister's life comfortable. Instead, she was stuck on a dinner with an idiot of a king. "I should have just kept the Mythril Egg and sold it." She said under her breath.</p>
  <p>But Noctis caught it. "The Mythril Egg? Wait. <em>You</em> stole that from the Sultan of Zanarkand?" At her affirmative hum, Noctis remembered what she told him earlier. "What else did you manage to steal?"</p>
  <p>Lightning raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"</p>
  <p>"You said you've stolen diamonds and classical art. What's the most famous expensive thing you've stolen, I wonder?"</p>
  <p>Lightning thought for a moment. She never shared her thieving adventures with anyone. It was weirdly exhilarating to flex her profession where she always kept it heavily secret. It felt like she was finally opening up to someone when she once never could but keep it all bottled inside. "I once conned some billionaire to give me a Monáy painting."</p>
  <p>"A Monáy?" Noctis asked, astonished. "The Accordian renaissance painter Monáy?"</p>
  <p>"The very one."</p>
  <p>Noctis knew he shouldn't be impressed by a thief, and yet he was. A Monáy painting was a rare thing, there only existed a handful of paintings of the renaissance artist, and each one was jealously guarded. "So lemme get this right," He recalled her words. "You <em>conned</em> a billionaire? You didn't burglar it like you wanted to do with my crown?"</p>
  <p>Lightning crossed her arms and looked at him as if she was going to explain something to a child. "Some jobs could be easily swiped like in your instance. Other jobs take more planning, more people involved, more time. And in some cases, it would be easier to just scam someone into giving you whatever you want. Usually it's money, but artefacts are possible too."</p>
  <p>He sounded almost breathless. "And you did that by yourself?"</p>
  <p>She shrugged with a smirk. "A super thief, I told you." The fact that it had been a difficult job that ended with her breaking two bones in different places was something he didn't need to know.</p>
  <p>Noctis whistled low. "How'd you manage that?"</p>
  <p>"Like I'm going to reveal that to you."</p>
  <p>A master doesn't reveal their secrets, Noctis understood that. "I guess you shouldn't tell me how you would burglarize random people."</p>
  <p>"I would never steal from <em>just anyone</em>." She shot in defense. "There's a difference."</p>
  <p>Noctis scoffed incredulously. "How so?"</p>
  <p>Him laughing at her got her angry. "I would never just steal from anyone in hardship. I steal from rich people who could afford it, not from someone struggling to just get by."</p>
  <p><em>A thief with a conscience?</em> Not something you ever easily see. Noctis leaned closer to the one woman who somehow managed to surprise him every minute.</p>
  <p>She roughly dug into her food, no doubt imagining that the steak she was sawing was his neck.</p>
  <p>Noctis was curious, though, how she would have gone about it to getting her price from him if she didn't choose to infiltrate his party and burglar him instead. "Let's just say, for fits and giggles, that you were going to con me for the crown. How would you have done it?"</p>
  <p>Lightning contemplated that for a second, eyeing him up and down. "I'd pull the Little Red Riding Hood on you."</p>
  <p>He chuckled. "Heh, I'd think you'd look good in red."</p>
  <p>"Not literally, you fool." She catapulted a piece of tomato on her spoon towards his face, but aggravatingly, he dodged that easily. "It's the name of the con. It's where I'd look lost and in need of your kingly wisdom. The lead is where I'd... seduce you… and you end up either showing me how to get to the crown or you just plain give it to me, where I'd then turn out to be-"</p>
  <p>"The big bad wolf." Noctis finished, understanding why the con was named the way it did.</p>
  <p>Although he seemed to look like he'd rather wanted Lightning to seduce him opposed to the way she snuck inside to steal it. Never did she have a mark that was so excited to be robbed by her. She truly didn't know if she wanted to laugh at him or punch him in the face.</p>
  <p>Probably the latter.</p>
  <p>She had to admit that Noctis wasn't perhaps the <em>worst</em> person to seduce. He was undeniably handsome; ocean blue eyes with a light of their own and a smile that looked too playful by half. He was a dork and had annoying stupid jokes that she was loathe to admit were funny, but he was charming even before she knew who he was and he was genuinely nice. If she learned anything in this business was that the filthy rich elites and royalties tended to be selfish narcissistic bastards. Noctis was nothing like that.</p>
  <p>"There's just one thing I can't figure out." Noctis scratched the back of his head. "If you have so much valuables to your name then why do it? Why did you start stealing at all?"</p>
  <p>She didn't want to tell him. He had no business to know in the first place. And yet, it was something she never talked about to anyone. "My… my mother had been terminally sick for as long as I can remember. Her health grew worse as I got older and so did the medical bills. We had no one else, so by the time she died, it was just me and my sister."</p>
  <p>That came as a surprise. "You have a sister?"</p>
  <p>"<em>Little</em> sister."</p>
  <p>That made sense. "What about your father?"</p>
  <p>"Died even years and years before."</p>
  <p>Noctis quieted. She had no one. Just a younger sister to take care for and no one to take care of <em>her</em>. "I'm sorry."</p>
  <p>She really didn't need his pity. She took care of herself. "My sister and I were too young to provide for ourselves, but as most kids desperate to make ends meet, desperate measures were taken. In those desperate times, I met a woman named Fang. She gave me the money to pay the bills in advance and then taught me how to steal to pay her back."</p>
  <p>Noctis was starting to figure her out. "So did you steal my crown to settle your debt?"</p>
  <p>"I paid her back a long time ago, but by then I already became what I am. A thief. It's all I've ever known." Fang had kept her on a leash for years and even now she liked to tug on it to get Lightning to do her bidding.</p>
  <p>"Does your sister know, that you're a thief?"</p>
  <p>"No. I kept her ignorant of my life to protect her. Stealing your crown would have been my <em>crowning</em> glory." She meant that pun but she was still bitter that she lost her mark. "If I got it, the money I would have received for it would have settled my sister and I for life."</p>
  <p>She was a thief by circumstances. He could sympathize with that but for some reason he figured Lightning would never accept his sympathies. "What would you say… If I gave you an offer that you can't refuse?"</p>
  <p>She glared over the rim of her wine glass before taking a sip. "I would say that depends on what the offer is or else I'll hit you."</p>
  <p>Noctis smiled at her. He really did like her. "I'll give you fifteen million gil, on one condition."</p>
  <p>Lightning choked on her wine. Fifteen million? "Are you insane?" King Noctis was unlike anyone she ever met before. "I can't accept that!"</p>
  <p>Noctis's face fell. "Why not?" He expected a thief to jump on the chance to get free money whenever she could. That's why they stole in the first place right?</p>
  <p>"Instead of giving me that kind of money, you can do so much more with it!" She frowned at him. Insane <em>and</em> inapt. "Build schools, set up planned education for orphanages, keep smaller medical clinics running..." She shrugged then, not really knowing what else to add except to mention the things that made it hard in her life when growing up due to money.</p>
  <p>But Noctis stared at her like she was the first thing he ever saw, and then smiled so brilliantly, it might have outdone the sun. Here was a woman who turned to theft to make money for herself and her sister, someone who, in all logical sense, should want to hoard all the wealth to herself if she could, and still she was so selfless to care about others and their wellbeing with gil that could have been otherwise hers so freely.</p>
  <p>She was truly astonishing.</p>
  <p>"I'll see to all of that, I promise you, but the money I'm offering is my own personal one. Government affairs will be paid with government money, and the lords can afford to lose some." He leaned forward to her, as if he was telling her a secret. "But this is straight from my own account. Fifteen million entirely yours."</p>
  <p>"I'm..." Lightning didn't know how to properly react to that. In all her years, no one had ever done anything for her. No one who cared.</p>
  <p>"I'll give it to you," He pointed up a finger. "On one condition."</p>
  <p>It was as if he snapped her back to reality when he said that, causing her to glare at him. "I'm not sleeping with you."</p>
  <p>"I don't want you to sleep with me like this." He smiled, and the implication that he otherwise would like to sleep with her if she so wished made her color red before she could squash the feeling. Before she could get a word out about his last statement he continued, "I'll give you the fifteen million gil, on the condition that you'll quit thieving. Forever."</p>
  <p>That rendered her speechless in an entire different way. Her first intuition had been to sneer at him, saying that if she had successfully snatched that crystal crown right from on top of his royal head, she would have stopped stealing anyway. The money would have been enough to keep her and Serah comfortable for a lifetime.</p>
  <p>But then she thought about it, digging deep within herself and asked, would she really have stopped?</p>
  <p>She had been a thief for so long, she wondered if she could be anything else afterwards. If Fang wouldn't have somehow sorted her back into the game, then maybe she would have found her own way to return to the life of crime. Thieving was a dangerous business, but it was an exciting one; she got to travel to places she never would have if she remained a stay-at-home big sister. She got to see things, meet people, touch precious treasury very few people in the world are even allowed to gaze upon. It kept her fit and moving, and although there was a certain level of stress with every job, the thrill of the hunt was unlike anything else she knew and it was ever rewarding in the end.</p>
  <p>She was good in stealing, an expert in burglary and was experienced in combat.</p>
  <p>She identified herself as a thief. And if she quit it, then what was left? Who was she? What was she?</p>
  <p>She didn't know.</p>
  <p>She stumbled over her words, stunned. "Wh-why would you do that?"</p>
  <p>Noctis raised his shoulders like it was no big deal. "I've never wanted for anything. Everything I needed I got. It allowed me to get expensive sports cars if I wanted, constantly break or lose my phone if I wanted. Study at the best schools that I wanted. Why don't you merit the same chance? You deserve to be who you want to be, and that doesn't have to be a thief." He could see that she looked like she wasn't entirely convinced with his reasoning, so he was going to be honest with her. "And I want you to know that I'm falling in love with you."</p>
  <p>Lightning froze with whatever she was doing to stare at him in silence. This king, this man, never ceased to surprise her. No one else ever did to this capacity.</p>
  <p>She swallowed, overrun with words and feelings she couldn't put into place. "But, you barely even know me."</p>
  <p>If he was disappointed with her answer, you couldn't tell. His smile was as enlightening as ever, the glow in his eyes as if he had an epiphany. "Weird huh? I always thought that the one person I'd fall in love with would be someone I knew since forever. And yet..." He trailed off looking at her.</p>
  <p>Lightning couldn't remember the last time she openly blushed, but she did under Noctis's gaze. She felt shy when he stared at her like that, like she was the only person in the world that mattered to him, where before she had hardly ever felt that way in front of anybody.</p>
  <p>Then again, nobody had ever told her that they started to fall in love with her. She barely knew him, she had maybe two or three conversations with him. If technically added up, she had only seen him for about three days. She didn't feel the same but there was something else that twisted her insides when she met his eyes.</p>
  <p>She swallowed, her throat drier than she could have imagined. No one has ever managed to render her into silence like he has.</p>
  <p>He had to be mad. He had to be. She wondered if the citizens of Lucis knew their king was insane. How else explain his actions, his words?</p>
  <p>Noctis knew that if Ignis was here, the bespectacled man would call him a nitwit and shake his head, but Noct hadn't been more certain about anything else in his life. He didn't expect her to reciprocate his feelings, not this quickly or so soon. Perhaps she was right. Maybe he was crazy after all.</p>
  <p>It was what he was feeling though, much to his own shock. He may spend the rest of his life berating himself by acting this foolish and saying weird things to someone who was practically a stranger, and a criminal to boot, but he didn't regret telling her the words that resonated in his heart.</p>
  <p>Lightning didn't even know how to react. "I…" What do you say to a man who just declared to love you and you didn't love him back? She hardly knew the guy. It was flattering, she would not lie about that. It was something straight out of a fairy tale to have a handsome freshly crowned king fall in love with a commoner who came into his life by accident.</p>
  <p>Some would say, that it was fated.</p>
  <p>"I accept." Lightning said instead, swallowing the flutters and nerves away. When he looked up confused, she explained. "The fifteen million gil. As well as the condition."</p>
  <p>Noctis saved her from addressing his admission of love and merely smiled. He reached into the inside of his jacket and pulled out of his phone, pressing on some apps and ticking away at his screen. "To whom do I make it to?"</p>
  <p>She raised her eyebrow at him.</p>
  <p>"Your name?" He clarified. "I'll set up your personal account and all you have to do is give your name."</p>
  <p>"Lightning… Farron." She didn't really believe him, if she was honest. Who would give up such a fortune on such a flimsy promise? And from a criminal no less? How could he believe her?</p>
  <p>Noctis still arranged everything, right there on his phone. When he transferred the money, he gave her the account and its passwords and showed her his screen. The proof was right there, a fifteen and six zeros following it.</p>
  <p>When all checked out, Lightning didn't know how to feel. She was rich now. The one thing she always wanted for herself, her sister and once her mother.</p>
  <p>"Thank you." She whispered incredulously.</p>
  <p>"You can do so much, Lightning Farron." Noctis told her with a voice of awe. "It doesn't have to be a thief. You can be anything." He hoped that this was a new beginning for her. She deserved one.</p>
  <p>Lightning didn't even know how to behave. The man making jokes and acting like a clown she could deal with. The man who just called out her flaws and genuinely wanted to support her made her all sorts of awkward.</p>
  <p>Noctis did not stop once from being friendly, even when she fell into silence. She finished her glass wine, barely tasting the exquisite drink.</p>
  <p>"You want some more?" Noctis pointed at the half empty bottle between them.</p>
  <p>"I'm sorry for that, by the way." She shook her head. It wasn't often that she apologized, but he was owed that one. "I only chose that one because I knew it was excessively expensive. It was… petty of me."</p>
  <p>He figured as much, but he didn't mind. "As long as you enjoyed it, then it didn't go to waste. And sommeliers are complete hacks anyway."</p>
  <p>He really was too nice. She was grateful he didn't make a big deal out of it. But then again there was much and more that she was grateful for to him.</p>
  <p>He asked her if there was something else she wanted. "Dessert? A banana split milkshake? Another steak to go?" When she denied the offers and settled back, Noct could see that she's had quite a night. "Wanna go home?"</p>
  <p>The concept of home was dissimilar to the both of them. Her home was far from here, wherever her sister was waiting for her. His home was that looming building in the middle of the city, a castle as vast and grand as the day they raised it from the ground. The thought, however, that he wanted to bring her home made Lightning's belly flip flop. "Sure."</p>
  <p>As promised, Noctis took care of the dinner, but by then Lightning hadn't been paying much attention. Her mind was full of thoughts and feelings that she was struggling to sort out.</p>
  <p>Leaving the restaurant, Noctis helped Lightning into his Audi. She seemed much too absent to take note of it, or how his touch lingered on hers.</p>
  <p>He drove them back to the castle, a drive that was much shorter on the way back. Lightning wondered if he just had been driving circles with her earlier that day.</p>
  <p>They rolled into the castle's garage all too soon and Noctis neatly parked between all the other flashy cars he possessed. When the motor died, neither of them moved.</p>
  <p>"Tomorrow you'll have your freedom. There will be an airship arranged to take you wherever you like to go." His smile was sad, and it did wistful things to her heart to see him like this.</p>
  <p>"Guess this is it then. The end of our deal." All she had to do was go to dinner with him. That was the bargain in order to escape prison. And yet, she did not move to get out.</p>
  <p>Noctis didn't rush her out of the car. He was patient and allowed her her moment to get her bearings together. "I wish you all the good fortunes in your future, Miss Lightning."</p>
  <p>Lightning looked at him for a long time, at this odd king with the sweet smile and wacky jokes. She did not know why, but she didn't want to leave.</p>
  <p>Two Kingsglaive warped to existence next to the car and Lightning knew they were here to escort her back to her room. She steeled herself. "I wish you luck in your reign, King Noctis. May it be long."</p>
  <p>She got out of his car and out of his life.</p>
  <p>
    <strong>~XIII/XV~</strong>
  </p>
  <p>The next morning when the Kingsglaive came to fetch her, Lightning was already awake and ready. She had been watching the sun rise at dawn, trying to break through the mist that settled over the city.</p>
  <p>Crowe Altius popped up happily by her side, ready to bring Lightning to her ride. "And how was it last night? Exciting?" When Lightning didn't immediately answer except to walk ahead forlornly, Crowe quipped at her. "You know how many would've loved to trade places with you to have a date with the king?"</p>
  <p>With how good looking and genuinely nice Noctis turned out to be, Lightning wasn't the least bit surprised if loads of women were after him. "They're welcome to him." Lightning huffed. "I ate a steak, he ate whatever and then he brought me back. That's it."</p>
  <p>Crowe suspected that more happened than just <em>that</em>, but she let it go. It's just something she'll have to gossip about with the other glaives later.</p>
  <p>The three Kingsglaive stood waiting by the car as Crowe brought her from her room to the garage and they swung the doors open of the town's car when Lightning joined them.</p>
  <p>"Your chariot awaits, milady." Pelna gestured with a big wave and a bow into the direction of the car.</p>
  <p>And yet Lightning didn't move. She felt like something was off, like someone was missing. "Where's your king?" She had expected to see him one last time before she left him for good, but he was nowhere to be seen.</p>
  <p>"He is otherwise engaged." Pelna said cryptically. "He did not inform us of what."</p>
  <p>There was a part of Lightning that felt like there was still unfinished business between her and the king. Things left unspoken. No matter how much she kept hoping that he would appear out of nowhere to bid her farewell and make one last joke in an attempt to make her laugh, he remained gone.</p>
  <p>And for some inexplicable reason, that did not sit well with Lightning.</p>
  <p>"Let's go Ciderella, time for you to disappear with your lost shoe from Lucis once and for all." Nyx grumbled and pointed at the open the door for her to get in the car.</p>
  <p>Nyx took the wheel while Libertus yelled shotgun. Lightning was squeezed between Crowe and Pelna. Even if she was technically free, it still didn't look like they trusted her enough to sit by the door.</p>
  <p>The ride had been a headache though. Even with Lightning there, they gossipped about the dinner date their king went on last night.</p>
  <p>"They were home way before midnight." Pelna noted. "Guess her fairy godmother didn't have a curfew this time."</p>
  <p>"That means nothing happened between them." Libertus figured.</p>
  <p>Lightning wished they'd shut up. Noctis was right about them. They <em>did</em> gossip like milkmaids, a fact made worse that they spoke as if she wasn't right there.</p>
  <p>"Don't worry," Crowe elbowed Lightning in the side. "If something did happen your secret is safe with me."</p>
  <p>Lightning didn't tell them what occurred. <em>"Nothing</em> happened."</p>
  <p>"You'd tell me, wouldn't you?" Libertus practically begged Crowe. "You have to tell Nyx and I. We're your brothers!"</p>
  <p>"A-and I'm your best friend!" Pelna quickly added with red cheeks.</p>
  <p>"I ain't breaking girlcode to tell secrets to <em>boys</em>." Crowe winked. "My guess is that Ciderella just left her prince behind without as much as a clue this time."</p>
  <p>"Ha! Ciderella, oh Ciderella, where are ye?" Libertus sang with dramatic hand gestures. "There's a prince here wondering where you'd be!" He turned around to Pelna and Crowe. "How does the song go again?"</p>
  <p>"Not like that, with your horrible screeching." Nyx complained besides him.</p>
  <p>Crowe grimaced as well. "You could break glass with that voice."</p>
  <p>Pelna was the one who helped him out. "Once upon a time there was a girl named Cid, all the cleaning and dusting she did." He sang as awful as Libertus did.</p>
  <p>Lightning couldn't believe she was stuck with these fools. She tried to ignore them so she wouldn't hear their song.</p>
  <p>Crowe only told them that they were singing the lyrics wrong. "Ciderella, oh Ciderella, she went to the ball, where her prince Charming stood there in the hall."</p>
  <p>The next part, they all sang together. "She lost her slipper shoe for her prince to find, but she disappeared real quick from his sight."</p>
  <p>While Crowe, Pelna and Libertus sang their little fairy tale song around her, Lightning contemplated her loss of seeing the king last time. It bothered her, more than she cared to admit. His sendoff of last night was solemn and felt uncharacteristically formal.</p>
  <p>After he told her that he was falling in love with her, she expected different from him. She did not know what exactly, or how, but the king that gently told her that he wished her the best at the end of the night was not the same man who made cartoon references a few hours before.</p>
  <p>And then he didn't come to see her again. That, especially, made her more gloomy than she wanted to be.</p>
  <p>It didn't matter anymore, Lightning supposed. They arrived at the airport where her airship was waiting and she was going to leave Lucis and its king forever.</p>
  <p>
    <strong>~XV/XIII~</strong>
  </p>
  <p>"That's it? You're just gonna let her go?"</p>
  <p>In the silence of the airport's lounge, with a clear view of the private airship just ahead of him, Noctis remained quiet as he stared at the figure of Lightning climbing out of the car to board her flight. She didn't know he was there, and that was the way Noctis preferred. It seemed like she had been weirded out enough by him the night before after their dinner. This way their separation was cleaner, less awkward.</p>
  <p>The king sighed. "What did you want me to do with her, Iggy?"</p>
  <p>"I mean," Prompto interjected, inspecting his nails from a sofa behind the king. "She <em>is</em> a thief."</p>
  <p>"And also wanted by Interpol." Gladio added, unworried.</p>
  <p>"She came quite close to the crystal as well, I should mention." Ignis was, for once, devoid of any paperwork in his hands. But his mind was nevertheless sharp enough to keep all of Noct's priorities in check. Including the seemingly escape of a criminal at large.</p>
  <p>"She didn't come for the crystal." Noctis dismissed their concerns without looking away from Lightning. "And she isn't wanted by <em>our</em> Interpol."</p>
  <p>Prompto snorted.</p>
  <p>"You're letting her go off easy because you're sweet on her." Gladio rightfully pointed out.</p>
  <p>He was not wrong, of course. Noctis would have given anyone else a fitting punishment to a crime. Lightning was… different. Denying it to his friends however, was pointless. "I know this is gonna sound cliché as fuck, but… she's truly unlike any other woman I've ever met."</p>
  <p>"Gee, duh. How many international thieves do you know?" Prompto grinned at the back of the king's head.</p>
  <p>"Besides," Ignis said quietly next to Noctis. "Your father would disapprove."</p>
  <p>Noctis stared out of the window, seeing his Kingsglaive line up as the thief in question spoke to them. Libertus Ostium was jumping up and down for some reason, Nyx Ulric looked disgruntled to be there. Pelna Khara seemed as sheepish as ever, Noctis could tell even from the distance. Crowe Altius looked to be the only amiable one among them; her grin was bright when she spoke to Lightning and she even went as far as to hug the international criminal. It brought a smile to Noct's face when he saw that Lightning even returned the hug.</p>
  <p>Noctis couldn't look away from her if he tried. "My father doesn't get to decide anymore."</p>
  <p>Gladio scoffed in the background. "That would be rich if he did disapprove, wouldn't it? Didn't King Regis marry his childhood friend?"</p>
  <p>"Queen Aulea may have been old king Regis's childhood friend, but she was still of high birth." Ignis corrected gently. "Even in these times, there are people who still look to such traditions for an unmarried king."</p>
  <p>"It'll probably only be respectable if Noct marries a princess, huh?" Despite the statement, Prompto rolled his eyes at how predictable such a situation was.</p>
  <p>Noctis followed how Lightning said her farewells, short and to the point as he knew she'd be, before she ascended the stair connected to the airship. The wind was out that blew Crowe and Lightning's hair with the currents of every gale, and yet it was Lightning who looked ethereal in the misty morning sun. No princess in the world could compare. It would be the last he'll ever see of her, he wondered why his friends even cared where she's from.</p>
  <p>"It doesn't matter." Noctis announced, putting an end to every discussion about traditions and bloodlines. "She's leaving anyway."</p>
  <p>All three of his friends gathered by the window as they watched the departure of the one woman who was both an enigma and a crime as she slipped away from their grasps, in more ways than one.</p>
  <p>Lightning lingered by the door just one moment more. She glanced over her shoulder as if she felt the weight of eyes on her, and Noctis imagined that she knew that he was there. No matter his wishes and imaginations, Lightning still set foot into her flight and disappeared.</p>
  <p>The airship shut its doors and started its engines, clearing the airstrip of all vehicles. The remaining Kingsglaive that escorted the ever elusive Lightning Farron to her freedom gathered round the car and waved up to the airship as if Lightning could see them, before they too jumped into the car and drove off, not knowing that their king was just behind them.</p>
  <p>"Of all the crowns in the world, she had to come and steal mine." King Noctis shook his head with a smile.</p>
  <p>The airship lifted slowly off the ground and Noctis stared at its retreating form until it disappeared into the clouds, gone for good.</p>
  <p>X</p>
  <p>X</p>
  <p>X</p>
  <p>X</p>
  <p>X</p>
  <p>
    <em> <strong>A FEW YEARS LATER</strong> </em>
  </p>
  <p>X</p>
  <p>X</p>
  <p>X</p>
  <p>X</p>
  <p>X</p>
  <p>They were moving through the castle's corridor from the parliament's chamber to the king's solar as Ignis handed Noctis his papers to go through. Ignis troubled himself with checking the agenda of the day. "These last few months there's been a petition to have an audience with you quite steadily."</p>
  <p>Noctis hummed as he inspected the documents in his hands, not quite listening to what Ignis was telling him. "Uhu. Where're they from?"</p>
  <p>"It is… unclear." Even Ignis was frowning at his bookwork.</p>
  <p>It was at this that Noctis quickly glanced up from his paper to his friend. Ignis had never been this uncertain about his business in his life. "Who do they represent?"</p>
  <p>Ignis looked like he was confused on what's in his notes. He checked his agenda, then on his phone for extra measure. "They're not afflicted with anyone."</p>
  <p>"Why did they petition?"</p>
  <p>Ignis squinted at his screen, like he did not understand what he was reading. "On reasons of personal arguments."</p>
  <p>"Peculiar." Noctis was distracted and quite bored. He looked down at the paper he was initially reading, hoping that this was the last of them he had to face for today.</p>
  <p>"One Serah Farron has been requesting an audience with you since three months ago. Her petition wasn't urgent, so she kept being postponed." Ignis couldn't discern what her purpose was for meeting the king. "Do you know one Serah Farron?"</p>
  <p>Noctis shook his head. "No, never heard of her."</p>
  <p>"You are to receive her within the hour. Should she be escorted to your solar, sire?"</p>
  <p>Noctis was about to nod absentmindedly, when it hit him. He stopped short. "Serah <em>Farron</em>?"</p>
  <p>Ignis was confused. "Indeed, sire."</p>
  <p>"No," Noctis's smile was almost blinding. "Bring her to the throne room instead."</p>
  <p>"Your majesty, do you know her?" Ignis had known all of Noct's petitioners both familiar and unfamiliar. Whoever this person was couldn't be someone Ignis wasn't acquainted with and yet his mind drew a blank. He checked his phone for the name and associations, yet nothing came up. Who was this Serah Farron that she was important enough to be received in the throne room?</p>
  <p>"Just bring her there." Noctis rushed ahead, pushing Ignis with all remaining documents he had been holding. "I'll see her immediately."</p>
  <p>Serah <em>Farron</em>. Farron. Noctis hadn't heard that name in <em>five years.</em></p>
  <p>He dismissed Ignis from his side much to Iggy's chagrin who isn't used to being left out of the loop when his king had a meeting with someone unfamiliar. But Ignis was dutiful if not obedient, so with a short bow he left his king on his way to the throne room.</p>
  <p>With all its splendor, golden veins around shiny black marble pillars, a raised throne for a monarch to look down upon all their subjects, the throne room was both intimidated and awe-inspiring. Noct was hoping that this Serah Farron whom he never met but knew by mention of name, would be mostly moved by the latter.</p>
  <p>The guards opened the double doors to the throne room for him, instantly catching the sight of pink. For a split second, he thought it was Lightning Farron herself coming to grace his presence. The stranger in front of him looked so much alike to the thief who once enthralled him that it gave him pause. Instead a young lady that barely reached his shoulders greeted him with an angelic smile. She bowed the moment she saw him, her pink curling hair bound in a ponytail and so long it reached her hip.</p>
  <p>"You must be Serah." Noctis hurried to shake her hand instead of allowing her to finish those silly formalities he thought so archaic.</p>
  <p>"And you can only be King Noctis Caelum! I'm so glad I finally get to speak to you." She sounded so elated to see him in person and she shook his hand warmly in return.</p>
  <p>"I'm sorry you had to wait that long. My agenda is always arranged according to priority. If I knew-"</p>
  <p>"It really doesn't matter." Serah Farron said sweetly. "I am aware a king has more important matters to attend to than little ol' me." If only she knew how important her presence actually meant to him, Noctis would have received her weeks and months ago. "I am just glad to finally have the opportunity to meet you."</p>
  <p>The question he wanted to truly ask burned on the tip of his tongue, but his father had taught him better manners than that. "What can I do for you?"</p>
  <p>"Oh, absolutely nothing, your majesty."</p>
  <p>"Call me Noct," The monarch told her. "You don't need to use official titles with me."</p>
  <p>Serah hummed happily. "You're as nice as she said you'd be." The words made his heart thunder as Serah referred to the one person he wanted to see the most. "There's so much I'm grateful for. So much has happened and so much changed. And she said more than once that it was thanks to you."</p>
  <p>Noctis looked down at his feet. "You give me too much credit. All she's done, she did by her own strength."</p>
  <p>Serah's smile was suggestive. "I see why she likes you." He flushed by her confession. "But she was not wrong. She told me the truth, about everything. How she was a thief for so long. I asked her to stop stealing immediately, but she said she already did. She had promised."</p>
  <p>She kept to her condition. What a woman.</p>
  <p>His voice was soft. "How is she?"</p>
  <p>"She enrolled in the military. She's now Sergeant Lightning Farron of the Guardian Corp with all honors and titles. That wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you."</p>
  <p>Noctis shook his head. "It wasn't me. She did it by herself. She could still be a thief, or live her life in idle comfort."</p>
  <p>"Nah, that's not Light. But, can I...?" Serah dared to hug him and he let her because he was too astonished to do otherwise. "Thank you."</p>
  <p>He hugged her back until she let go. "Where is she?"</p>
  <p>Serah's smile was reminiscent of her sister's. "Outside near the gates. She wasn't allowed inside, but she's waiting for me there."</p>
  <p>He couldn't contain how eager he was to see her if he tried. "Do you mind?" He was cutting her audience short that she has waited months for to receive. He wasn't going to rush out there without her leave.</p>
  <p>Serah's capri blue eyes were knowing and understanding. "Just go."</p>
  <p>He hastily turned on his heel, opening the doors of the throne room himself, ready to warp himself towards the gates of the castle to receive her. Upon stepping out of his throne room, Noctis met no one other than the person of interest right outside.</p>
  <p>Even when she was denied entrance to the castle, she managed to appear inside his receiving hall anyway.</p>
  <p>But there she was, in front of him once again.</p>
  <p>"Your security measurements are <em>still</em> awful."</p>
  <p>"Lightning," He said almost with reverence in his voice. He hardly saw a difference in her in the five years since they parted, but she was just as breathtakingly beautiful as the first day he saw her. "You're back." He whispered, like she was still a visage from his imaginatiion.</p>
  <p>She smiled at him, ever so gently. By the grace of Shiva, was she beautiful. He took in the details of her he only remembered in his dreams for years since they went their own ways. Her rose colored hair fell in waves down her shoulder, her eyes still couldn't decide whether to be sapphire or viridian.</p>
  <p>She changed so little in the years since they last saw each other but there was something so different about her that spoke volumes. He thought Lightning had been a league of her own, a woman so uniquely outstanding you'd only meet someone like her once in a lifetime. And yet, there was an aspect now even more voluptueus about her that he thought couldn't be possible.</p>
  <p>She looked like a soldier. But even as a soldier, she didn't forget all her tricks, since she still managed to sneak into his castle when they barred her way. "Maybe you should help me improve it."</p>
  <p>She did something of a cute snort. "And have your Kingsglaive grumble at me for doing their job better than them?" She shook her head. "I'll take my chances."</p>
  <p>Mesmerized by the sight of her, Noctis asked, "What are you even doing here?" He didn't mean it as an accusation. After their dinner, he never would have thought she'd ever return to Lucis or to him again. Meeting her by chance five years ago was a stroke of fate that made Lady Luck glance down at him only once. That she was before him once more meant that the gods blessed him all over again.</p>
  <p>"Returning something back that is yours." She said, still smiling.</p>
  <p>If Lightning had changed little in the last five years then the complete opposite could be said about King Noctis Lucis Caelum since the last time she set eyes on him. Gone was his messy spikey hair and the boyish look he carried so charmingly. In front of her stood a king accustomed to his crown. His hair rebelled in its own way; for it was still messy but it had grown longer. A beard sculpted his face that definitely removed any trace of the inexperienced monarch he had been. Even the way he dressed was different. From the uncaring slacks to a suit tailored perfectly to him. The way he left the top few buttons of his dress shirt undone gave him more of an informal air, yet he looked nonetheless every inch regal.</p>
  <p>He was, if possible, even more handsome than she thought he could be.</p>
  <p>But his eyes remained the same, like he still took joy in seeing her.</p>
  <p>"What're you returning?" Besides her own gorgeous self, Noctis was confused about what she could possibly bring back to him.</p>
  <p>"Your fifteen million gil." She stated.</p>
  <p>That rendered him to shock. Having been a king for half a decade, he thought that few things could surprise him anymore. And yet here Lightning was, once again astounding him. "What? B-but it's yours."</p>
  <p>Her smile was honest and gentle. "None of it was earned. I've stolen goods that were worth millions without one concern in the world, but you were the first time I ever felt like I robbed you. I'm giving it back."</p>
  <p>"It's yours." She possessed more of him other than just money. "All of it."</p>
  <p>"I needed to return it. There is one exception, though." At his dazed expression, Lightning almost couldn't contain her snicker. "I was going to get my sister a vehicle with the paycheck of your beautiful crown, so she got herself a ten-thousand gil car from you."</p>
  <p>"You're truly astounding." Noctis heartily laughed at that. "But I am happy to provide anything I can for you and your sister."</p>
  <p>"There is one thing else I owed you, that I wouldn't have given for no amount of money in the world."</p>
  <p>He was going to tell her that she owed him absolutely nothing, until he saw her near him, inch by inch. His breath hitched when she touched him. "Lightning…"</p>
  <p>She pulled him towards her and he came to her so easily. Her hand travelled from his chest to the back of his neck and into his hair. Then they kissed, after what felt like a lifetime. A viscous warmth bubbled up Noctis's stomach, sweet and honeyed, and he pressed closer into her answering, thick, sumptuous kiss.</p>
  <p>It had been heated and long overdue. They parted from each other but Noctis kissed her again, not getting enough of her. When they finally had their fill of each other after so long, he hardly moved an inch from her. His lips brushed hers when he spoke. "I waited five years for that."</p>
  <p>Lightning sighed against him. "Why didn't you come to say goodbye to me that day?"</p>
  <p>He smiled against her lips. "Would you have stolen a kiss from me then?"</p>
  <p>Lightning laughed softly. "I don't steal anymore. But even if I wanted to-" And there was a part of her that did, unbeknownst back then even to herself. "-You weren't there. Why weren't you?"</p>
  <p>He caressed her rose pink hair, her cheek, the curve of her mouth. "I was." He told her quietly. "I was there."</p>
  <p>Her eyes snapped up to his. "What?"</p>
  <p>"At the airport. You were already weirded out by the fool who told you that he was falling in love with you just the night before. You needed space." He remembered that day as clearly as it was yesterday. The heartache in his chest, the longing in his stomach, the way he would miss her smile. "But I still couldn't let you leave without seeing you one last time."</p>
  <p>She punched him in the shoulder for that. "You let me think you didn't care."</p>
  <p>He chuckled apologetically. "My bad." He held the hand that just punched him, rubbing away any pain she had. "I was there, just further away. And if you want, I'll never leave your side again."</p>
  <p>As he was holding her, Lightning pulled him towards her for another slow sweet kiss. "How about you take me on a second date first?"</p>
  <p>"Deal!" Noctis grinned. "You can pick whatever you want. I just got fourteen million nine-hundred and ninety thousand gil richer."</p>
  <p>He was thrilled by the sound of her laughter. "You're still a dork."</p>
  <p>And she was still the thief of his heart.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>see Lightning's dinner dress <a href="https://64.media.tumblr.com/8ab75646f33fc8f62444ed064114c287/6a04c84900cc42d9-1e/s400x600/093d67e330294db1b23ace8b3e407882d0fef802.jpg">right there</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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